Jannik Sinner – Photo Getty Images
Italian tennis is preparing to shine at the Paris 2024 Olympics, with several players vying to represent the country at the Games.
Jannik Sinner leads with 8575 points with almost 800 points ahead of Novak Djokovic.
The next few weeks will be decisive in defining the Italian tennis team that will participate in the Paris 2024 Olympics. With Flavio Cobolli on the rise, Luciano Darderi trying to maintain his position and Lorenzo Sonego determined to climb the rankings, the fight for some available places promises to be passionate.
The International Tennis Federation (ITF) has outlined the “master guides” who will structure participation in the prestigious tournament, which will take place from 27 July to 4 August.
“Direct entries” will be based on the ATP ranking with 56 places allocated, but not necessarily the top 56 in the world, as there is a limitation of four players per country to promote diversity. Added to these are six places through regional competitions, with two places for the champion and finalist of the Pan American Games, one for the champion of the Asian Games, one for the African Games and two for “Olympic gold and Grand Slam champions”, one category which could include champions such as Rafael Nadal or Andy Murray, with the possibility for Nadal to use the protected ranking.
However, these spots will only be valid if the players are in the top-400 and if their country has not already reached the four-player limit.
Among these, the name of Flavio Cobolli stands out, the young Roman who is making headlines thanks to his recent performances. In Madrid, Cobolli demonstrated his worth, defeating the fearsome Nicolas Jarry for the second time this season and gaining access to the third round, where he will face a high caliber opponent in Karen Khachanov. This result represents a significant achievement for Cobolli, being his first third round in a “1000” category tournament, a success that will have a positive impact on both his ranking and his chances of participating in the Olympics.
In the race for Olympic qualification, which will take into consideration the first four Italian players, Cobolli currently occupies fifth position, with 795 points, closely following Luciano Darderi, currently the last Italian virtually qualified for the Games, who is in 47th position with 861 points.
We will also have to see if Darderi will be eligible given that he has never played in the Davis Cup (he has never even been called up) and could have an exception for this very reason.
The situation is more complicated for Lorenzo Sonego, currently 58th in the Olympic ranking with 771 points. The Turin tennis player will try to improve his position by participating in the Challenger 175 in Cagliari this week and, in case of an early exit also at the Italian Internationals, he will take part in the Challenger in Turin. These tournaments will be crucial for Sonego, as they could determine who will be the fourth Italian singles player at the Olympics. Luciano Darderi, another contender for the spot, is also entered in both Challengers, making the competition even tighter.
The countdown has already begun and all eyes are on Roland Garros 2024, when the participants for the ranking will be defined on June 10th. The anticipation grows, and with it the hope of seeing the tennis stars shine under the Eiffel Tower. Paris, here comes Olympic tennis.
Ranking for Paris 2024
