veroniquem
Bionic Poster
Probably Davy: higher ranking, more longevity, many more titles. Gaudio has 1 slam title but didn't do much else really. Totally off topic to the subject of this thread though since neither of them won the Olympics...
Is an olympic gold medal more prestigious than wtf?
- Thread starter Sorana fan
- Start date
Tennis_Hands
Banned
Sorana fan
Banned
Ability? That's very very arguable.
WTF measures ability only because the first eight are playing?
Did you take into account the fact that they are not 100% since it's end of season and they are TIRED, sometimes even INJURED.
Did you consider it's only a 3 set competition in comparison with 5 set-Olympic gold?
It's not that simple.
TheTruth
G.O.A.T.
Olympic gold, imo. As stated before only hard core tennis fans care about the WTF. Ask a casual tennis fan about the WTF and he'll probably counter with WTF back in question form. I personally have kept up with tennis for many years and can only guess at the ones who've won it. It's never been known to hold so much prestige. This is a recent development that sprang up out of nowhere.
Talker
Hall of Fame
Players can be injured at anytime and tired at anytime especially at the Olympics where the schedule is full.
dudeski
Hall of Fame
Do you think it's LOLvile?
Sorana fan
Banned
It's on-topic because I thought you said that it's GSs what makes you great.
Sorana fan
Banned
The fact is that what happens is exactly the opposite: The prepare themselves to be 100% at the Olympics, and dont care tanking Canada, for example.
At the end of the season they are exhausted (which is normal)
Tennis_Hands
Banned
No, it is not arguable.
At the WTF you do not have a single weak opponent. You have to win at least 4 matches against top 8 players, to win it.
And, Federer has won the WTF (then The Masters Cup) in a best of 5 final. Not to mention, that earlier there were other tournaments, that were featuring a best of 5 final format.
Are they then equallly prestigious as the olympic tournament nowadays?
By your logic, they are, as they were exactly the same format.
The INJURED card is a giveaway, that you do not understand tennis very well. Players play with injuries all the time. There is no guarantee, that they are fit for the OG. Nadal took almost a month and a half off before the WTF in 2010 and still couldn't get the job done (and in his best year (titlewise) off of clay, no less).
The tired thing is even more pathetic. Aren't all players tired, when the tournament rolls in?
In my opinion the competition at the WTF is just too strong, to give the nod to the Olympics.
I rate the WTF as it is rated at the moment (1500 pts) and the Olympic tournament above the normal M1000 tournaments (I think, that they should reward 1250 pts).
Aslo, I fully share your sentiment about the WTF going back to the best of five format of the final (and maybe the SF).
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Talker
Hall of Fame
Fed has a gold.
He won it with Wawrinka in doubles, an area in tennis that he hardly even plays which makes it all the more remarkable.
I don't know how many singles players have gold's in doubles but to do that is really an achievement.
I know Nadal or Djokovic don't have one.
Sorana fan
Banned
You mean like Quitsarevic, dont you? Yes, I was there last year in the O2.
Of course they can get an injury anytime, BUT the likelihood of this happening at the end of the season is FAR FAR bigger. When they are interviewed all of them speak about the fatigue. But what the hell, you are the special one, you know more than anyone. How can they dare to say so.
Sorana fan
Banned
Im tired of writing the same over and over.
Here you have
http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showpost.php?p=7399778&postcount=48
Tennis_Hands
Banned
Quitsarevich, as you call him, was stronger throughout the year, than anybody, bar 7 other players. He had the exact same number of wins, that Nadal had in 2009. LOL
Oh, and being there doesn't make you an expert.
So, basically, you say, that the status of the tournaments should be lowered, as the year progresses.
Lets then lower the status of the US Open, compared to the Australian open, because, hey, at the US Open the likelihood of someone being injured is far greater.
And, I didn't get an answer to my question: how come that the fatigue is more of a factor for some players, than the others? Would like to hear your comment on Nadal's 2010 performance as well.
veroniquem
Bionic Poster
I said the opposite, I said it's the career as a whole, the accumulation of titles. 1 isolated title doesn't make a career. If you really want me to give you a hierarchy for a tennis resume (in terms of prestige), I would say: all 4 slams (either calendar or career) OR a lot of slam titles, a lot of masters OR/AND WTFs, weeks at #1, Olympic gold. Before our era, 2 tennis #1 have won the Olympic Gold : Kafelnikov and Agassi. One of the 2 won only OG, the other one won OG and WTF. You want me to tell you which one I think had the most prestigious career ? Don't worry, it's a rhetorical question.
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Talker
Hall of Fame
Fed's double's gold was won by beating the Bryan's, one of the best doubles players around ever. A remarkable feat of tennis skill and adaptability.
I don't know of any top singles men players ever doing this.
Nadal was knocked out early in the doubles.
RF20Lennon
Legend
I think the WTF would be more important because youre playing against the top 8 of the world in the tournament and also because you can use this tournament as a way to weigh one's career as it has been huge in tennis since the 70's but tennis in olympics was never that big back in the day. Players like Sampras didnt care about the Olympics. Also WTF has more ranking points and is the best possible way to end the year.
sbengte
G.O.A.T.
One of the most original threads. I am absolutely certain this exciting question has never been debated here.
I have already given my take on this. WTF should be banned as it is a highly discriminatory and elitist tournament. ONLY the top 8 players of the world are allowed to enter. I mean, WTF ? How are you supposed to give soft draws to certain players prone to injury and tiredness so they have a shot at winning the title ?
Olympics on the other hand doesn't have such rules. Every country can send their players without any bearing on their ATP rankings. The only downside with Olympics is that they sometimes scare players away from participating by issuing grand statements like they will ensure dopers will be caught and they had better stay away.
I have already given my take on this. WTF should be banned as it is a highly discriminatory and elitist tournament. ONLY the top 8 players of the world are allowed to enter. I mean, WTF ? How are you supposed to give soft draws to certain players prone to injury and tiredness so they have a shot at winning the title ?
Olympics on the other hand doesn't have such rules. Every country can send their players without any bearing on their ATP rankings. The only downside with Olympics is that they sometimes scare players away from participating by issuing grand statements like they will ensure dopers will be caught and they had better stay away.
batz
G.O.A.T.
i know you're having a bit of a laugh mate but the bolded isn't correct. There's a ranking cutoff for Olympic tennis.
tennis_pro
Bionic Poster
A Gold medal in tennis isn't as valuable as in other sports as it's already very popular. It means just as much as it does in football.
Jay_The_Nomad
Professional
WTF man? You really think a WTF win is bigger than an Olympic gold?
The olympics is all about being a part of a world event. There are very few organized events as big as the Olympics.
The wtf could very well be replaced by a new name or a new tournament.new format in the future. But you can bet the Olympics will remain as The Olympics for a very very loooong time.
The olympics is all about being a part of a world event. There are very few organized events as big as the Olympics.
The wtf could very well be replaced by a new name or a new tournament.new format in the future. But you can bet the Olympics will remain as The Olympics for a very very loooong time.
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NatF
Bionic Poster
Olympic Gold has sentimental value for the athletes, a lot of it too. That's why it's so important to them. As far as competitions go it's not harder to win than an old style masters with a best of 5 final. The WTF has alot of history and features only the best, winning it is a greater tennis achievement.
moonballs
Hall of Fame
What's the cutoff? I have bad data coverage now so can't search.
veroniquem
Bionic Poster
Just imagine Murray and Djokovic ended their career tomorrow. One could say: Murray had the better career of the 2 because he won the most important event in tennis (OG). And that is so much more prestigious than getting to #1, more slam titles, more master titles, WTF titles...
Hum. One could always try I guess
(and maybe Andy's grandparents would agree 
)
Hum. One could always try I guess
(and maybe Andy's grandparents would agree )Povl Carstensen
Legend
At least one Olympic silver, one gold and what is it 5-6 wtf's is a lot better than one olympic gold.
RoddickAce
Hall of Fame
Just a random thought, but isn't that a form of ad hominem if anything, the poster didn't try to replace your argument with some extreme case.
Edit: Actually, never mind, I think the straw man works too.
NOTE: I am not taking sides here.
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Fedex
Legend
Just imagine Murray and Djokovic ended their career tomorrow. One could say: Murray had the better career of the 2 because he won the most important event in tennis (OG). And that is so much more prestigious than getting to #1, more slam titles, more master titles, WTF titles...
Hum. One could always try I guess
Only the straw man would say that.
The question of the thread is - is one Olympic Gold greater than one WTF?
Not is one Olympic Gold greater than getting to no.1 and winning more slam, masters and WTF titles.
Is anyone actually arguing the last statement apart from the straw man?
mariecon
Hall of Fame
and you wouldn't be saying that if Nadal had won 5 or 6 WTFs and zero OG. Would you? :roll:
Fedex
Legend
So you're saying one Olympic Gold is less prestigious than one WTF?
mariecon
Hall of Fame
yes
edit: to win the WTF you have to beat 4-5 of the top 8 players in the world, at the end of a long tough season. Much more difficult than winning the Olympics. The Olympics is like a Masters only without the bye for the top seeds. Actually if an unseeded player wins a Masters they play the same number of matches as you have to play to win the olympics.
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Fedex
Legend
Can you honestly say this is an unbiased opinion and if you were not a fanatical supporter of Federer then your opinion would be different?
Fedex
Legend
Ok fair enough.
I never liked these exclusive type events personally.
An open event is more valuable IMO.
Talker
Hall of Fame
This is about which is more prestigious not which is better for the career resume.
The WTF is harder to win but most want the Olympic Gold and most people would recognize the medal even if not a tennis fan.
RF20Lennon
Legend
Just imagine Murray and Djokovic ended their career tomorrow. One could say: Murray had the better career of the 2 because he won the most important event in tennis (OG). And that is so much more prestigious than getting to #1, more slam titles, more master titles, WTF titles...
Hum. One could always try I guess
LOL^ best post of the thread.
I'm not even sure the average person even knows about the Australian Open.
so by that logic the Olympic Gold might have more prestige than even one of the grand slam's... and that could be true!
bluetrain4
G.O.A.T.
To a huge amount non-tennis and non-sports fans, it absolutely would be more prestigious than a Slam just on name recognition But, I think many casual tennis fans and a good amount of casual sports fans understand that Slams are at the top.
The WTF has a tougher field and has been a prestigious pro level tournament for longer than the olympics. The list of Tour finals winners is full of hall of fame players. The WTF is also allotted more points by the ATP -- an indication of how the tour itself values the two events. The only thing that makes the olympics more difficult is scheduling -- it is held once every 4 years. The difficulty level of tennis in the Tour finals is higher.
yup, totally agree.
to anyone who remotely follows tennis, they know the majors are #1.
unfortunately the numbers of people who follow tennis are very small... and there are 4 majors rather than 1 major tournament.. there's no Super Bowl or World Series for tennis.
if you did a global poll.. i'm pretty sure most people couldn't come up with anything more than "Wimbledon" for tennis.
So if you based it on a global poll of the masses your prestige ranks are:
1) Wimbledon
2) Olympics
3) USO
4) French
5) Australian Open
and WTF would be a joke that people would just laugh at.
Amongst people who actively follow sports and watch some ESPN but aren't necessarily tennis fans... they would probably rank everything but the Aussie Open over Olympics.
Amongst casual tennis fans (but not necessarily uber fans like TT posters):
all 4 majors, then Olympics... then the other stuff is all lumped together....
i think that using non-tennis fans as a kind of supporting evidence is silly. why would the opinions of people who are ignorant on the topic have much, if any, value? it would be like asking an accountant for his opinion on the medical diagnosis of a patient he hasn't met -- he has no personal experience or training in the matter. His opinion is useless.
I think he'd trade 3 and his silver.
it seems really strange to me that Federer doesn't have 2-3 Olympic golds... he was the best player in the world by a considerable margin in 2004.. was certainly at worst the 2nd best player in the world still in '08.. and had just won the tournament at the same court against the same player in '12.
I think he beats any other player in the world besides murray that day... that was the perfect storm of the hometown boy on the hometown surface.
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Sampras once said his 6 straight year ending #1 is his biggest accomplisment. Of course, that was after Fed broke his 14 slams record.
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