By Randy Walker
@TennisPublisher
BEST MOST MEDALS: The United States won three total tennis medals in Rio, which is tied with the Czech Republic for the most medals won by a nation at the 2016 Olympic tennis event. The USA won gold in mixed doubles – Jack Sock and Bethanie Mattek-Sands – silver in mixed doubles (Venus Williams and Rajeev Ram) and bronze in men’s doubles (Jack Sock and Stevie Johnson). The Czech Republic won three bronze medals – in women’s singles (Petra Kvitova), in women’s doubles (Lucie Safarova and Barbora Styrcova) and in mixed doubles (Radek Stepanek and Lucie Hradecka). A gold, silver and bronze is better than three bronze.
ONLY MULTI-MEDAL WINNING PLAYER: Jack Sock is the only tennis player at the Rio Olympics to win more than one medal winning mixed doubles gold and men’s doubles bronze. Rafael Nadal had a chance to equal Sock but lost to Kei Nishikori in the bronze medal match after winning gold in men’s doubles.
MOST ENTRANTS: The USA had more players in the Olympic tennis event than any other country with 11. They were – Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Madison Keys and Sloane Stephens in women’s singles, Stevie Johnson, Jack Sock, Brian Baker and Denis Kudla in men’s singles, Serena Williams / Venus Williams and Coco Vandeweghe / Bethanie Mattek-Sands in women’s doubles, Brian Baker / Rajeev Ram and Steve Johnson / Jack Sock in men’s doubles and Bethanie Mattek-Sands / Jack Sock and Rajeev Ram / Venus Williams in mixed doubles.
MOST MATCH WINS: The United States had the most match victories of any other country with 22 in Rio. This is one better than Spain’s 21 match wins.
RECORD-BREAKER – Venus Williams tied the all-time record for most Olympic medals won by a tennis player with her silver medal in mixed doubles. It was her fifth career Olympic medal and ties her with Kitty McKane who won five tennis medals at the 1920 and 1924 Olympic Games.
