Way Too Early Look at 2028 Olympic Tennis

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With the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in full swing across Northern Italy, it’s never too early to take a peek at whose flags may be raised in the tennis events at the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles.

Reigning men’s singles gold medalist Novak Djokovic already expressed his desire to defend his crown in two years, but will youth stand highest on the podium?

On the women’s side, will the hosts continue their hold on the WTA’s Top 20 and add to the American’s Olympic-most 14 gold medals in the Open Era?

Here are three nations that will be in the mix for gold in Los Angeles 2028.

Italy

The Italians have bossed team competitions as of late, while still sporting a very young core.

The men are three-time defending Davis Cup titlists, securing the first three-peat since 1972. In an alternate universe, Jannik Sinner, a former junior national giant slalom champion, might’ve been competing rather than volunteering at the 2026 Winter Games, but the world No. 2 will definitely be the favourite to end Italy’s drought for singles gold in 2028.

If Sinner opts out due to the tight turnaround after Wimbledon, the Azzurri’s depth is proven. Lorenzo Musetti has been at his best since his 2024 bronze medal, reaching back-to-back major quarter-finals at the US and Australian Open and now sits at a career-high No. 5. Flavio Cobolli also finds a new level when representing his country, leading Italy to their 2025 Davis Cup triumph. Both Musetti and Cobolli will be just 26 years old in 2028.

The women have a two-year hold on the Billie Jean King Cup, led by two-time Grand Slam finalist Jasmine Paolini. The 30-year-old won gold in doubles alongside Sara Errani in 2024 but now has the former doubles world No. 1 as part of her coaching team.

In singles, the world No. 8 has only gotten better with experience, making the four WTA 1000 semifinals in 2025, headlined by a runner-up finish in Cincinnati and title on home soil in Rome. Expect Paolini to continue her upward trend two years from now.

USA

The Americans will already be looking ahead to the Olympics on a home court. The last time the USA hosted the Summer Games was in Atlanta 1996, they took home three of the four gold medals (the mixed doubles event was not held).

Four American women finished 2025 in the Top 10, the most since 2004, with 24-year-old Amanda Anisimova coming off the best year of her career so far. The world No. 4 made the finals at Wimbledon and the US Open, as well as hoisting WTA 1000 silverware in Doha and Beijing.

However, teen sensation Iva Jovic could emerge as a favourite for the host nation. The 18-year-old became the youngest member of the Top 20 after her Australian Open quarter-final result this year and already has a WTA 500 title to her name in Guadalajara, all before she has even played two full seasons on tour.

Not to mention that world No. 5 Coco Gauff is a two-time Slam champion at 21, the player who began this American surge.

Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton will be the men’s favourites and they both tend to impress on US soil. Fritz will be playing in his home state and has a great track record when playing in California, making the fourth round in Indian Wells five-straight times including his maiden ATP Masters 1000 title there in 2022.

As for Shelton, his game continues to improve following a career year in 2025, hoisting a first Masters 1000 trophy at the National Bank Open in Toronto. The 23-year-old embraces the heat, beginning the year with an Australian Open quarter-final after making the semis in Melbourne last season.

Canada

Canada’s top players have been at their best recently and it’s hard to believe that they’ll face a significant drop across the next two years.

Félix Auger-Aliassime has looked as confident as ever, reaching at least the quarter-finals in all but one event since after the National Bank Open – his only early exit was due to an injury at the Australian Open that forced him to retire in the opening round. Over that span, the world No. 6 shined on American soil with a second US Open semifinal and hoisted two trophies in Europe to break the Canadian singles title record.

The Montrealer won bronze in mixed doubles with Gabriela Dabrowski in 2024 but lost in the third-place medal match in singles that same year. The 25-year-old will have that extra motivation of getting on the singles podium for the first time, and being on his favourite surface will only add to his chances in Los Angeles.

While Auger-Aliassime is back at the top, Victoria Mboko will certainly continue her meteoric rise. At just 19, the world No. 13 is showcasing the form that won her the title at the National Bank Open in Montreal, making the final in Adelaide and fourth round at the Australian Open this year, losing in a valiant effort against world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka.

Mboko will most likely make her Indian Wells debut next month and her success at the event may be a little sneak peek into how the Canadian will play to the courts and conditions in California.

Honourable Mentions: Czechia, Poland, Spain

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Feature Photo: Martin Sidorjak