Rafael Nadal and Garbiñe Muguruza headline the Spain’s Olympic tennis team. The two will be Spain’s carry the expectations of trying to win a medal in the singles format. The Spanish will bring the maximum four players to Rio in the men’s singles format while the women will being two only. Nadal will be playing in his second Olympics after missing London 2012 due to injury and will be the flag-bearer for the Opening Ceremonies for Spain. Muguruza will be playing in her first-ever Olympic Games.
Spain With Solid Men’s Singles Lineup
Though Nadal is the favorite to get a medal, the three other men that Spain are bringing are more than capable of making some noise as well. David Ferrer, a former top five player, is the second player Spain will be bringing. He will be looking to better his third round showing in London four years ago.
Two first-time Olympians will join Ferrer and Nadal in Roberto Bautista Agut and Albert Ramos-Viñolas. Bautista Agut has enjoyed a trademark year, knocking on the door of the top ten with some impressive results this year and being one of the tops on the ATP World Tour in wins. Ramos-Viñolas is coming off his first Grand Slam quarterfinal at the French Open and recorded his most famous hard court win in Shanghai last year against Roger Federer.
Good Friends Tackle The Women’s Singles Battle
Along with Muguruza, Carla Suarez Navarro will join the women’s singles fray. Suarez Navarro has had a strong year this year, not as notable as Muguruza’s Grand Slam winning one but a solid one nonetheless. She was an Australian Open quarterfinalist and was a title winner in Doha. This will also be her first Olympics.
The Doubles Teams
Both the men and women will be fielding two doubles teams each. The men will be going with Rafael Nadal and Marc Lopez, opting for the 14-time Grand Slam champion over Lopez’s partner Feliciano Lopez. Bautista Agut and Ferrer will make the second team.
The women’s doubles teams will be led by last year’s WTA Finals runner-up, Muguruza and Suarez Navarro. Anabel Medina Garrigues and Arantxa Parra Santonja will be the other team, looking to continue on their strong year so far.
Rafael Nadal and Garbiñe Muguruza are the tentative mixed doubles pairing for Spain. It will be confirmed on-site if those are the two players Spain will be sticking with.