Karma Tennis
Legend
Olympic Gold Medal where the Final is played at Wimbledon or Roland Garros has significantly greater prestige than Indian Wells Title.
Olympic Gold Medal where the Final is played on any hard court surface is about the same as an Indian Wells Title.
Indian Wells likes to tout itself as the 5th Major. But that is typical American hype. Imho, the major Clay Court Tournaments in Europe... Monte Carlo, Madrid or Rome are much harder to win and as such are much more prestigious.(We already have two Majors played on hc. Any 5th Major would have to be played on Red Clay.)
Olympic Gold Medal where the Final is played on any hard court surface is about the same as an Indian Wells Title.
Indian Wells likes to tout itself as the 5th Major. But that is typical American hype. Imho, the major Clay Court Tournaments in Europe... Monte Carlo, Madrid or Rome are much harder to win and as such are much more prestigious.(We already have two Majors played on hc. Any 5th Major would have to be played on Red Clay.)
onefineday
Hall of Fame
I think they are kind of equal. Both have been massively elevated in stature in the last two decades.
MadariKatu
Hall of Fame
Until Tokyo, the olympic finals were Bo5, and masters have been Bo3 since 2007, I think. So between 2007 and 2016, the olympics. Draws matter, but over time are forgotten.
I personally would prefer an olympic gold. I'd say Djokovic too. Maybe more of a personal thing than prestige itself.
I personally would prefer an olympic gold. I'd say Djokovic too. Maybe more of a personal thing than prestige itself.
skaj
Legend
And what is the logic behind this? "I don't like hard courts"?
Aussie Darcy
Bionic Poster
A lot of kids dream of winning Olympic gold because you see it, it's everywhere, it's the greatest sporting spectacle in the world. Not all kids dream of winning a tennis tournament most non tennis fans haven't heard of. Every 4 years BILLIONS tune in to the Olympics. Indian Wells? Probably at best globally gets 10-30 million viewers. The Olympic are the be all and end all. Come on.
ollinger
G.O.A.T.
Not convinced that's actually true. People on this board talk about it that way sometimes but can you cite any promotional material from the tournament itself that says this?
The_Mental_Giant
Hall of Fame
Summer Olympics and Football World Cup are by far the 2 biggest sport events in the world, and it translates in them taking place only once every 4 years.
bluetrain4
G.O.A.T.
General population - Olympics. Olympics probably trumps everything but Wimbledon in the general population's mind. As I always say, because of the brand, the Olympics is a great sporting achievement, if a middling tennis achievement. To be clear, this isn't to say that it isn't a good achievement, just that the awarding of a gold medal and putting it in the same sphere as other sports (where the Olympics actually it the pinnacle of the sport unlike tennis) seems to make people lose their minds over a 64 draw, sub-masters level tournament where because of per-country limits, the field will almost always be weaker than a Masters.
Hardcore tennis fans - depends. Some can't help fall for the glow of Olympic gold, I get it. I'd say IW as woulds others.
Hardcore tennis fans - depends. Some can't help fall for the glow of Olympic gold, I get it. I'd say IW as woulds others.
T
TheNachoMan
Guest
The one that awards points 
Dead Mosquito
Rookie
You need an Olympic gold to achieve Career Golden Slam.
You need an Olympic gold to deserve the person who carries the national flag in that event.
You need an Olympic gold to deserve the person who carries the national flag in that event.
T
TheNachoMan
Guest
None of those people you listed are tennis players.Hmm .... become a legend and part of the sporting Pantheon alongside Owens, Lewis, Bolt, Phelps, Thorpe, Spitz, Biles, Korbut, Comaneci, Torvill and Dean etc etc etc
or .....
equal Norrie and Ljubicic.
Try Rosset, Mecir, and Massu.
Thriller
Hall of Fame
You missed the point. You win Olympic Gold and you transcend your sport. You sit alongside those greats from all the sports forever more.
The closest thing we have to that are slams and you have to win lots to transcend in the same way. One Olympic Gold is enough.
skaj
Legend
Try Graf, Nadal, Williams.
T
TheNachoMan
Guest
Try Monica Puig
Tshooter
G.O.A.T.
Both are Big Titles. 
www.atptour.com
Novak Djokovic Extends 'Big Titles' Lead With Record-Breaking Paris Win | ATP Tour | Tennis
Novak Djokovic won a record-breaking 37th ATP Masters 1000 title on Sunday at the Rolex Paris Masters, extending his lead in the 'Big Titles' race over Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.
www.atptour.com
skaj
Legend
Try Monica Puig
I see that you haven't been introduced to the state of women's tennis in the last few years.
Before that it was Graf, Capriati, Davenport, Venus, Henin, Dementieva, Serena
Thriller
Hall of Fame
Try Monica Puig
Like this would happen if she won Indian Wells ....
Puerto Rico Loses It As Monica Puig Wins Island's First-Ever Olympic Gold | HuffPost UK Sports (huffingtonpost.co.uk)
One tournament win and she is now a national hero for life.
Last edited:
FrontHeadlock
Hall of Fame
IW along with YEC, Rome and Cincinnati are in Tier 1 for the Masters+ events.
Tiers of the Masters+ Events
Just like the Majors have a pecking order, the Masters+ Events (the Masters events + the WTF) also have a pecking order. Here is how I rate them. Taking comments and abuse. Tier 1A WTF Tier 1B Indian Wells Rome Cincy Tier 2 Miami Monte Carlo Canada Tier 3 Shanghai Madrid Tier 4 Paris
tt.tennis-warehouse.com
I could be persuaded to consider Rome the most prestigious of the lot, but the problem with Rome is that it's literally right before RG. The benefit that IW has is that it's in March and feels more like a standalone title, kinda like the Players Championship on the PGA Tour.
titoelcolombiano
Legend
Olympics by far
darthrafa
Hall of Fame
first thing first to avoid those crying babies speaking bs again
olympics means more to players (i wont say it is more prestigious) NOT coz rafa won it and djoker has not yet got it
olympics is an overall mega event and players also represent their country with pride
in addition, it comes every four years and players understand they may not have many chances to get it, which is also subject to a lot of uncertain factors, climate, injury, draws, courts, etc
olympics means more to players (i wont say it is more prestigious) NOT coz rafa won it and djoker has not yet got it
olympics is an overall mega event and players also represent their country with pride
in addition, it comes every four years and players understand they may not have many chances to get it, which is also subject to a lot of uncertain factors, climate, injury, draws, courts, etc
DMTNA
Rookie
Yes, also Olympic Gold is one of the most prestigious title that any athlete wants to achieve.
Also, i would like to see the picture of a cry baby crying after losing in the first round of Olympic match.
We will then know how that title means to him. 
AgassiSuperSlam11
Hall of Fame
Currently Gold Medal is 750 ATP points and IW is 1000 points which is inconsequential. Gold Medal is playing for your entire country, and you get a crack once every four years. Diego Schwartzman when asked after careful deliberation said he'll prefer the Gold over a slam during a rapid-fire Q&A. I think the better question is what is bigger an ATP Final (bo3 final) vs IW.
Tennis should not be in the corrupt Olympics.
Tennis has its own pinnacle events 4 times a year.
Let the basic sports that measure pure human performance have the olympics--track and field, swimming or sports that don't have its own major form of international competition--gymnastics, rowing.
Tennis has its own pinnacle events 4 times a year.
Let the basic sports that measure pure human performance have the olympics--track and field, swimming or sports that don't have its own major form of international competition--gymnastics, rowing.
The players have pretty much answered this numerous times
DIMI_D
Hall of Fame
Olympic GOLD wins off to OG vs WTF
Russeljones
Talk Tennis Guru
Tennis has no place in the Olympics. It was entered in the Olympics yesterday (comparatively speaking). What a sad indictment it is for the game to see so many value it over a M1000.
The one that awards points
The one that they all wanna win whereas it doesn't award point ... Yhey don't go for points but for ... PRESTIGE
skaj
Legend
And can you tell why do you feel that way?
Russeljones
Talk Tennis Guru
Because it doesn't fit. For the original core Olympic sports, the Olympics is the pinnacle. All of the affiliated disciplines - track and field, martial arts, weightlifting etc. - the Olympics is the absolute pinnacle. Tennis looks out of place in this company. It is obviously a sport centered on individual performance. The Olympics is about teams and medal tables. Sponsors got tennis into the Olympics and now people are telling us those before (who couldn't have participated) did less for the game? It's just absurd.
AM75
Hall of Fame
Really? It was original Olympic sport in 1896.
skaj
Legend
Why does it not fit and looks out of place? It is centered on individual performance but track and field and swimming are not?
No one is telling anyone that tennis players who retired before tennis made a comeback to the Olympics did less for the game. If anything is absurd it's saying that.
MCallanan
Semi-Pro
Someone needs to brush up on a little history. Tennis was one of the few original sports of the modern Olympiad. It’s place in the Olympics is more fitting than about 99% of the other events
DIMI_D
Hall of Fame
Some Irishman won it
MCallanan
Semi-Pro
ATP points are no longer rewarded for Olympic tennis. But it was inconsequential then as it is now. A. There’s not a player alive who would honestly say they’d rather win a Masters over an Olympic Gold medal — we have plenty of player testimony to prove that. B. The 750 ATP points that were previously awarded was done so in an arbitrary fashion. Olympic tennis is an ITF event and its placement on the schedule was and is detrimental to ATP events, that’s why the points were removed in total. So we can draw no objective conclusion based on the previous ATP point distribution of the event.
Russeljones
Talk Tennis Guru
After 1924 it came back in 1988. Done.
Mainad
Bionic Poster
Doesn't alter the fact it was one of the original sports of the modern Olympics.
Russeljones
Talk Tennis Guru
And it got scrapped. Yep, we know.
skaj
Legend
Yep, because of the disputes between ITF and the Olympic Committee. It's a shame, we know.
Mainad
Bionic Poster
After the 1924 Olympics there was a disagreement between the ITF and the IOC on the definition of amateur players so it was dropped. It returned as a demonstration sport in 1968 and again in 1984 and finally as a full fledged participant again in 1988. It certainly has history there.
Again the players unanimously say Olympics. Cannot have a debate over a closed issue.
DIMI_D
Hall of Fame
Yes I know that’s why I said case closed off to a new topic and thread I have to create -
OG Vs ATP Tour finals
skaj
Legend
I think there was at least one thread on that topic.
DIMI_D
Hall of Fame
Maybe more I wonder if they have a poll
Similar threads
