Olympic Tennis Update: Another Top Dog Falls

More shockwaves were sent around the sport during round three action at the Olympic Tennis Center in Rio.

Novak Djokovic, Nicolas Mahut and Pierre-Hughes Herbert, Serena Williams, and the Williams Sisters.

All of these athletes have three things in common: they’re at the top of the game, they were at the top of draw, and after just two rounds of play, none of them will be on the medal podium.

Serena Williams cemented that reality with a straight sets, 6-4, 6-3 loss to Elina Svitolina in third round singles action. This comes after defeating Daria Gavrilova and Alize Cornet in the first two rounds respectively to have a shot at the quarterfinals.

Instead, Williams bid to become the first player to successfully defend singles gold has ended, and with the women’s quarterfinal matches set, all medalists will be first-time winners.

For those that haven’t been following the action closely, here is the kicker: the upset of Williams is only one part of a larger trend. That is the most shocking part of all.

On Sunday, Serena and her older sister Venus Williams lost an Olympic doubles match as partners for the first time ever in the opening round against Lucie Safarova and Barbora Strycova. They came into the match with a 15-0 career record looking to win a fourth straight gold medal after triumphing in Sydney (2000), Beijing (2008), and London (2012).

It didn’t end there. On the same day, Venus, playing in her record fifth straight Olympic Games, was ousted by in the first round by Kristen Flipkins 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(5). All that can be said is at least this upset wasn’t in straight sets.

French Open champion Garbine Muguruza was also ousted in the first round after a flawless performance by Monica Puig.

The buck didn’t stop with the ladies. World number one Novak Djokovic lost his focus in the first round against Juan Martin Del Porto and was handled in straight sets. Djokovic would then go on to loose his mixed doubles match.

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In men’s doubles, the number one seeded pair and current number one in the Emirates Doubles Rankings, Nicolas Mahut and Pierre-Hughes Herbert also joined the upset party in similar fashion: failing to make it past the first round.

Going forward, a lot of questions have to be asked, and more importantly, a lot of answers are needed.

Before the Olympics, Djokovic and Williams were the clear dominant forces of their sport, and its crazy to think that these two are beatable, but everyone needs to remember that all athletes are human and have to loose at some point.

Health is a big part of this story: Djokovic withdrew today from the Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati, the only Masters 1000 he has yet to win because of a wrist injury, and it appears that Williams shoulder is not 100 percent. She withdrew from the Rogers Cup last week because of this, and now it appears her shoulder is inflamed leaving many to wonder if Serena made the same mistake as Rodger Federer.

Federer had to end his season due to injury, and many believe that he made that decision to late, and it could effect his ability to compete in the near future. Does Serena decide to play the U.S. Open or does she end her season as well?

With the so called big three in Djokovic, Federer, and Nadal all seeming to show signs of weakness at the same time, whether that be physical or mental, the one thing that I can conclude for sure is that the sport for both the men and women has opened up, and the 2016 Summer Games are the start of that.

Wide open draws create chaos and unpredictability, but they’ve also created opportunity for players to make their mark. Angelique Kerber, as the highest remaining seed, has a chance to take the number one ranking from Williams with a gold medal, and after the German beat Williams in the final of the Australian Open, her case for Player of the Year would be complete. Madison Keys and Petra Kvitova are other names to keep an eye on.

On the men’s side, the big winner is Andy Murray who is looking to defend his singles gold, and get closer to his ultimate goal of becoming world number one. Rafael Nadal is the highest remaining seed after Murray, and it would be interesting to see them clash for gold knowing that the two have never met in the final of a grand slam. Gael Monfils, Kei Nishikori, and Del Porto are among those to watch.

Next: Olympic Tennis Mixed Doubles Draw Released

After Rio, can Djokovic and Williams be the betting favorites at the U.S. Open, and are we at the end of their respective periods of dominance? Those questions will be answered later, but for those that want to tune out the tennis that is left in Rio, don’t because the storylines will just be more intriguing from here to the finish line. That is the case for all draws, including mixed doubles.

Stay with Lob and Smash for all your Olympic tennis needs!

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