Hassan, Kovinic granted universality places for tennis at Paris 2024
The ITF has announced that Lebanon’s Benjamin Hassan and Danka Kovinic, of Montenegro, are the first two players confirmed to take part in the Paris 2024 Olympic Tennis Event after both were awarded Universality places into the men’s and women’s singles events.
Universality Places are awarded to nations who are under represented in the Olympic Games and allocated to National Olympic Committees by the Olympic Games Tripartite Commission in consultation with the ITF.
Hassan will be the first player from Lebanon to take part in an Olympic Tennis Event, while Kovinic, who became the first Montenegrin to take part in tennis at the Games at Rio 2016, is set for her second Olympic appearance.
"It’s always a great pleasure representing my country, especially at the Olympics,” said Kovinic. “This means even more for me, knowing I had to withdraw from Tokyo 2020 at the last minute due to an injury. I genuinely hope the Games in Paris will be another great experience for myself and that I could embrace all the atmosphere Olympics can bring to the athletes."
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"Growing up, playing tennis has always been my passion and I had a dream of reaching stellar positions and representing my country in international tournaments," said Hassan. "Taking part in the Paris 2024 Olympic Tennis Event is an important milestone in realising my dreams.”
“This means even more for me, knowing I had to withdraw from Tokyo 2020 at the last minute due to an injury"
News of their participation at the Games on 27 July – 4 August comes on the day of the ranking cut-off for the Olympic Tennis Event, with the direct acceptances into each of the men’s and women’s singles and doubles events at Paris 2024 set to be determined by today’s ATP and WTA rankings.
With the entry process due to be completed by the end of June, the full entry list for Paris 2024 will be announced by the ITF on 4 July, though some nations will be able to confirm their teams in advance of that date.
As well as the 56 direct acceptances and universality place, there are also six final qualification places into each of the men’s and women’s singles events that can be utilised as a result of players performances at Continental Games, as well as two places for former Grand Slam or Olympic champions with the highest number of titles.
There is also a host country place which in this case will not be required given the strength of France’s team – thus increasing the ranking cut for direct acceptance.
Doubles
The doubles Top 10, per the rankings of today (10 June), will receive direct entry into the doubles event if nominated by their country. Those players need to be able to team up with a player from their nation ranked in the Top 300 in either singles or doubles. The remaining places into the doubles draw are allocated by combined ranking, and then by singles priority.
Bear in mind, a country can only nominate a maximum of six players for each of the men’s and women’s events across singles and doubles.
Based on today’s rankings, the following players will be able to pick their partner for Paris 2024, if nominated by their country:
Men’s doubles Top 10: Matthew Ebden (AUS), Marcel Granollers (ESP), Horacio Zeballos (ARG), Rohan Bopanna (IND), Joe Salisbury (GBR), Rajeev Ram (USA), Marcelo Arevalo (ESA) (*won't compete at Paris 2024 as there is no other player from El Salvador ranked inside the world's Top 300), Wesley Koolhof (NED), Mate Pavic (CRO), Andrea Vavassori (ITA).
Women’s doubles Top 10:
Elise Mertens (BEL) (*Has elected not to play at Paris 2024), Su-Wei Hsieh (TPE), Erin Routliffe (NZL), Storm Hunter (AUS)* (injured), Katerina Siniakova (CZE), Laura Siegemund (GER), Gabriela Dabrowski (CAN), Vera Zvonareva, Nicole Melichar-Martinez (USA), Ellen Perez (AUS)
The full entry list for the Olympic Tennis Event will be published on the ITF website here on 4 July