While tennis at the Olympics and tennis at Wimbledon both showcase the same sport, there are a fair few differences between the two of them and how the events are run. This is not so much on the rule front (although, there are some changes there), but more down to the fact that tennis at the Olympics has a slightly more relaxed feel to it.
Let’s take a look at how tennis at the Summer Olympics differs from tennis at Wimbledon. And for those who like to place bets on these sports, a more in-depth understanding of how these games differ could help you choose which types of bets to make.
Prestige
In many sports, winning the Olympics is a capstone event. You can’t get any higher in the sport. If you’ve won, say, shotput at the Olympics, you can quite easily be seen as the best in the world. That’s not the case with tennis.
There are plenty of top players who rarely qualify for the Olympics and many top players who have never snatched a gold medal there. At no point is their skill ever called into question—we know that they’re brilliant players.
If a tennis player wins one of the Grand Slams (including Wimbledon), we know that they are one of the best in the world, even if they’ve never picked up an Olympic medal. Ask any tennis player and they’ll probably tell you they’d rather win Wimbledon than a gold medal at the Olympics (although, a gold medal is still cool and Novak Djokovic took great joy in winning his first-ever gold medal).
Remember, Wimbledon is all about tennis. The Olympics? Well, tennis plays second fiddle to every other event. The reason why tennis at the Olympics was so heavily reported on during Paris 2024 was the largely due to the fact that it sealed Andy Murray’s retirement from the sport.
Smaller Draw
Wimbledon, as with all Grand Slams, is a packed event. The schedule is dense, and if you’re into tennis, you’ve got tons of events to watch every single day. The Olympics, on the other hand, has about 50% of the number of competitors. The field is smaller. This means that tennis isn’t quite as intense. You aren’t going to see game after game. You might even find that there are fewer upsets as you won’t get the lowest-ranking players in the world getting through to parts of the tournament that they shouldn’t be getting to.
Music
Ever watched Wimbledon? Well, we’re sure you have. Other than a classic moment a few decades ago where Cliff Richard serenaded the audience with his classic tunes, you won’t find much music playing there. It helps with the whole sophistication part of the event.
The Olympics? Music is playing pretty much all the time when people aren’t actively playing tennis. It makes everything seem a bit less “sophisticated”. Not that the Olympics isn’t as sophisticated, but the Olympians won’t be living by the rather strict rules that Wimbledon has put together for its competition over the years, which incidentally, leads us to our next point.
Different Clothing
Players at Wimbledon must wear white. There are a lot of rules surrounding the style of clothing they can wear. Everybody looks the same. This is not the case at the Olympics.
Play tennis at the Olympics and you can wear any color you want (although, generally, you’ll be playing in your country’s colors). If you’re used to watching Grand Slam events such as Wimbledon, this change certainly looks unique out there on the court.
Shorter Games
You won’t get games going on for an age at the Olympics. Since tennis is such a minor part of the Olympics, and there’s a strict schedule to keep, Olympic tennis matches are considerably shorter. A male match (aside from the final) will be just the best of three sets, which is a stark comparison to Wimbledon, which is the best of five. The only time the Olympics gets to the best of five is in the male final.
Who You’re Playing For
When you watch Wimbledon, you’ll rarely see it reported that players are playing for their country. Wimbledon, as with every other major tennis competition, is very “individual-focused”. This changes ever so slightly when it comes to the Olympics.
The Olympics has a much more patriotic feel to it. Sure, you’re playing for yourself, but you’re also playing for your country. You are working to add another medal to your country’s horde. If you win, your country will celebrate with you. Other than a couple of exceptions at Wimbledon (e.g. Andy Murray), there are very, very few competitors that will have their whole country behind them.
Prizes
If you’re a tennis player playing at the Olympics, you aren’t there for the prize money. The gold medal isn’t even made of real gold nowadays (not that many people will be selling their medals if they win one). If you win Wimbledon, you can look forward to a ton of prize money. Not just in terms of cash from winning, but all those sponsorship deals.
It is Not a Big Deal if a Competitor Says They Don’t Want to Compete
Finally, it isn’t a big deal if a tennis player decides they don’t want to compete in the Olympics. While it hasn’t happened so much in 2024, there have been other years when the best players in the world decided that they wanted to rest during the Olympics. They felt that their schedule was packed enough that competing at the Olympics would tire them out. Other than a quick news report, most people don’t care when this happens. On the other hand, if you had a major tennis player pull out of something like Wimbledon because they “felt tired”, it’d be major news for a good while. Many people may even ask if the player is at the end of their career because, as we said, you don’t just skip Wimbledon.
Moreover, there are other changes that the average viewer won’t be aware of. Changes that only the players care about, e.g. at Wimbledon, there’s a big dinner at the end of the tournament. This doesn’t happen at all with the Olympics. As soon as you’re done, you go back home.
