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FACTBOXFormat: Straight elimination tournament
Venue: Olympic Green Tennis Centre
Dates: Aug 10-17
Medals: 4
GB Record: 14 Gold, 12 Silver, 14 Bronze
The world's finest travel to Beijing looking to emulate gold medal success previously achieved by such greats as Stefan Edberg, Boris Becker, Michael Stich, Andre Agassi, and Steffi Graf to name but a few.
A total of 64 world-class players from all over the globe will contest in the singles and doubles categories with 16 seeds allocated for the singles and eight for the doubles.
The qualification for the event is determined by the world ranking of each individual player. 34 of the singles players qualify directly through their ranking with the doubles competitions containing 32 pairs of whom 10 qualify automatically.
When the directly-qualified players are confirmed the remaining places are decided by the International Tennis Federation.
History:
Edberg takes gold in 1984
Tennis was one of the original nine Olympic sports played at Athens in 1896 and was part of the games until it was dropped in 1924 because of difficulties excluding professional players from the amateur game.
Tennis was absent from the Olympics for 60 years until it was played as a demonstration sport in Los Angeles 1984.
The move proved a success and tennis was reintroduced as a full medal Olympic sport in 1988. Many top professional players such as Venus Williams, Andre Agassi, Boris Becker and Steffi Graf have won medals at the Olympics.
However, despite the comeback of tennis to the Olympic stage some top players prefer to focus their attention on the big four Grand Slam tournaments.
Olympic Greats:
Graf follows up 84 gold in 88
Tennis has a proud history of continually attracting the world's finest players to the Olympic stage, and that continues again in 2008 with both world number ones Roger Federer and Ana Ivanovic set to feature.
After six decades without Tennis at the Olympics, the Los Angeles Games showed the world what the sport could offer as Swedish sensation Stefan Edberg - winner of six Grand Slams - claimed the men's singles gold and German Steffi Graf took the women's title.
Graff continued her dominance in Seoul in 1988 before German duo Boris Becker and Michael Stich came on the scene in Barcelona four years later to clinch the men's doubles title.
The 2001 Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic was also on the podium in 1992 as he claimed two bronze medals.
Atlanta 1996 saw a host of American heavyweights battle it out - the winner of men's singles gold, and one of the greatest to ever hold a racket - Andre Agassi was the most notable of the male competitors.
Williams sisters Venus and Serena took the court in Sydney in 2000 as they powered to women's doubles gold - Venus going on to take individual honours with Monica Seles picking up bronze.
Best of British:
Henman won a silver for GB
Britain's small 2008 contingent will be unable to emulate their counterparts of a century ago when all six of the tennis gold medals on offer in London 1908 went to the home players.
With only Andy Murray and brother Jamie flying the flag in Beijing, the best Britain can hope for is two gold medals as no female compeititors have qualified.
The most recognised British name to win a medal at the Olympics is Tim Henman after he and Neil Broad claimed silver medals in Atlanta in 1996.
Henman, now retired, was the first player from the United Kingdom since Roger Taylor in the 1970s to reach the semi-finals of the Wimbledon men's singles Championship.
Despite never reaching a Grand Slam final, Henman did reach the last four of six Grand Slams and he won 11 career ATP titles.
Henman and Greg Rusedski have been the United Kingdom's most successful open era players with the former ranked number four in the world in 2002.
Henman also entered the 2004 Games in Athens, and, although expected to do well the British hope was eliminated in the first round.
Ones to Watch:
Federer is desperate to bounce back to form with Olympic gold
Andy Murray will be a threat on the back of his strong WImbledon showing, while he and his brother Jamie could be dangerous in the doubles with Jamie already a Grand Slam winner in the mixed.
As all the big guns are entered for the Olympic tennis tournament it does resemble a Grand Slam event with once again Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic the big three in the men's event.
Nadal is in flying form and will fancy his chances while Federer was a second round loser four years ago and will want to improve - but don't count out a shock winner as in Athens when Nicolas Massu claimed gold.
Their will be a new women's champion as Justine Henin claimed gold in Athens but has now retired and Ana Ivanovic will hope to repeat the feat of the top seed taking the gold.
Team GB:
Andy Murray - Singles and Men's doubles
Jamie Murray - Men's doubles
Medal Hope - Andy Murray
