Tennis at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Women's singles

The United States' Serena Williams defeated Russia's Maria Sharapova in the final, 6–0, 6–1 to win the gold medal in women's singles tennis at the 2012 Summer Olympics. Both finalists were attempting to become the second woman (after Steffi Graf) to complete the career Golden Slam in singles. Williams won the gold, only weeks after winning the 2012 Wimbledon Championships, without losing a set, without losing more than three games in any set, and without losing more than five games in any match. Her serve was broken only once during the tournament (by Urszula Radwańska in the second round). She also became the first tennis player (male or female) to complete the career Golden Slam in both singles and doubles. It was the United States' first victory in the event since Serena's sister Venus Williams won in 2000, and its fifth gold overall. In the bronze medal match, Belarus' Victoria Azarenka defeated Russia's Maria Kirilenko, 6–3, 6–4.

Women's singles
Tennis at the 2012 Summer Olympics
Final
Champion	Serena Williams
Runner-up	Maria Sharapova
Score	6–0, 6–1
Events
Singles men women Doubles men women mixed
Qualification
← 2008 · Summer Olympics · 2016 →

Women's singles tennis at the Games of the XXX Olympiad
Women's singles medalists
Venue	All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club
Dates	28 July to 4 August 2012
Competitors	64 from 33 nations
Medalists
Serena Williams  United States Maria Sharapova  Russia Victoria Azarenka  Belarus
← 2008 2016 →

Main article: Tennis at the 2012 Summer Olympics

The tournament was held at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, London from 28 July to 4 August 2012, and was the first Olympic grass court tournament since tennis was re-introduced to the Games.^[1] There were 64 competitors from 33 nations.^[2]

Elena Dementieva was the reigning gold medallist, having won in 2008,^[3] but she retired from the sport in 2010.

Background

This was the 12th appearance of the women's singles tennis. A women's event was held only once during the first three Games (only men's tennis was played in 1896 and 1904), but has been held at every Olympics for which there was a tennis tournament since 1908. Tennis was not a medal sport from 1928 to 1984, though there were demonstration events in 1968 and 1984.^[2]

Returning from the 2008 Games were bronze medalist Vera Zvonareva of Russia, fourth-place finisher Li Na of China, and three quarterfinalists: Jelena Janković of Serbia and the Williams sisters, Venus and Serena. Venus was the 2000 Olympic champion, playing in her fourth Olympic singles tournament. Serena had won almost every tennis honor possible except the Olympic singles (the sisters had won women's doubles in 2000 and 2008, and would win again in London). The Russian team that swept the medals four years earlier had experienced nearly complete turnover; gold medalist Elena Dementieva had retired, silver medalist Dinara Safina was injured, and Svetlana Kuznetsova was slumping. This made room for Maria Sharapova, a major rival of Serena. Sharapova and Serena were seeded #3 and #4 behind world #1 Victoria Azarenka of Belarus and #2 Agnieszka Radwańska of Poland.^[2]

Georgia, Kazakhstan, and Liechtenstein each made their debut in the event. France made its 11th appearance, most among nations to that point, having missed only the 1908 Games in London (when only British players competed).

Qualification

Main article: Tennis at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Qualification

Qualification for the women's singles was primarily through the WTA ranking list of 11 June 2012. An additional restriction was that players had to have been available for two Billie Jean King Cup events between 2009 and 2012. Nations had been limited to four players in the event since the 2000 Games. There were 64 quota places available for women's singles. The first 56 were assigned through the world ranking. There were two Tripartite Commission invitation places and 6 final qualification places allocated by the ITF based on continental and national representation along with world rankings.

Competition format

The competition was a single-elimination tournament with a bronze medal match. Matches were in best-of-3 sets. No tiebreak was played in the final set.

Schedule

Matches took place between 28 July and 4 August.^[4]

July				August
28	29	30	31	1	2	3	4
11:30	11:30	11:30	11:30	11:30	11:30	12:00	12:00
Round of 64		Round of 64 Round of 32	Round of 32	Round of 16	Quarter-finals	Semi-finals	Bronze medal match Gold medal match

Seeds

01.     Victoria Azarenka (BLR) (semifinals, bronze medalist)

02.     Agnieszka Radwańska (POL) (first round)

03.     Maria Sharapova (RUS) (final, silver medalist)

04.     Serena Williams (USA) (Winner, gold medalist)

05.     Samantha Stosur (AUS) (first round)

06.     Petra Kvitová (CZE) (quarterfinals)

07.     Angelique Kerber (GER) (quarterfinals)

08.     Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) (quarterfinals)

09.     Sara Errani (ITA) (first round)

10.     Li Na (CHN) (first round)

11.     Ana Ivanovic (SRB) (third round)

12.     Dominika Cibulková (SVK) (first round)

13.     Vera Zvonareva (RUS) (third round)

14.     Maria Kirilenko (RUS) (semifinals, fourth place)

15.     Sabine Lisicki (GER) (third round)

16.     Nadia Petrova (RUS) (third round)

Click on the seed number of a player to go to their draw section.

Draw

Key

• Q = Qualifier
• WC = Wild card
• LL = Lucky loser
• Alt = Alternate
• SE = Special exempt
• PR = Protected ranking
• ITF = ITF entry
• JE = Junior exempt
• w/o = Walkover
• r = Retired
• d = Defaulted
• SR = Special ranking

• INV = Tripartite Invitation
• IP = ITF place

Finals

	Quarterfinals							Semifinals							Final
	1	Victoria Azarenka (BLR)	6	7
	7	Angelique Kerber (GER)	4	5
								1	Victoria Azarenka (BLR)	1	2
								4	Serena Williams (USA)	6	6
	4	Serena Williams (USA)	6	6
	8	Caroline Wozniacki (DEN)	0	3
															4	Serena Williams (USA)	6	6
															3	Maria Sharapova (RUS)	0	1
		Kim Clijsters (BEL)	2	5
	3	Maria Sharapova (RUS)	6	7
								3	Maria Sharapova (RUS)	6	6				Bronze medal match
								14	Maria Kirilenko (RUS)	2	3
	6	Petra Kvitová (CZE)	6^3	3											1	Victoria Azarenka (BLR)	6	6
	14	Maria Kirilenko (RUS)	7^7	6											14	Maria Kirilenko (RUS)	3	4

Top half

Section 1

	First round							Second round							Third round							Quarter-finals
	1	V Azarenka (BLR)	6	3	6
		I-C Begu (ROU)	1	6	1			1	V Azarenka (BLR)	6	6
		MJ Martínez Sánchez (ESP)	6	6					MJ Martínez Sánchez (ESP)	1	2
		P Hercog (SLO)	2	4											1	V Azarenka (BLR)	7^8	6
		A Tatishvili (GEO)	6	6											16	N Petrova (RUS)	6^6	4
	INV	S Vogt (LIE)	2	0					A Tatishvili (GEO)	3	7^7	2
		J Zheng (CHN)	4	6^7				16	N Petrova (RUS)	6	6^5	6
	16	N Petrova (RUS)	6	7^9																		1	V Azarenka (BLR)	6	7
	9	S Errani (ITA)	3	1																		7	A Kerber (GER)	4	5
		V Williams (USA)	6	6					V Williams (USA)	6	6
		M Erakovic (NZL)	2	1					A Wozniak (CAN)	1	3
		A Wozniak (CAN)	6	6												V Williams (USA)	6^5	6^5
		G Voskoboeva (KAZ)	4	2											7	A Kerber (GER)	7^7	7^7
		T Babos (HUN)	6	6					T Babos (HUN)	1	1
		P Cetkovská (CZE)	1	0^r				7	A Kerber (GER)	6	6
	7	A Kerber (GER)	6	3

Section 2

	First round							Second round							Third round							Quarter-finals
	4	S Williams (USA)	6	6
		J Janković (SRB)	3	1				4	S Williams (USA)	6	6
		M Barthel (GER)	4	3					U Radwańska (POL)	2	3
		U Radwańska (POL)	6	6											4	S Williams (USA)	6	6
		F Schiavone (ITA)	6	3	6										13	V Zvonareva (RUS)	1	0
		K Zakopalová (CZE)	3	6	4				F Schiavone (ITA)	3	3
		S Arvidsson (SWE)	6^3	4				13	V Zvonareva (RUS)	6	6
	13	V Zvonareva (RUS)	7^7	6																		4	S Williams (USA)	6	6
	10	N Li (CHN)	2	6	3																	8	C Wozniacki (DEN)	0	3
		D Hantuchová (SVK)	6	3	6				D Hantuchová (SVK)	6	6
	IP	A Cornet (FRA)	7^7	6				IP	A Cornet (FRA)	3	0
		T Paszek (AUT)	6^4	4												D Hantuchová (SVK)	4	2
		A Medina Garrigues (ESP)	2	6	5										8	C Wozniacki (DEN)	6	6
		Y Wickmayer (BEL)	6	4	7				Y Wickmayer (BEL)	4	6	3
	IP	A Keothavong (GBR)	6	3	2			8	C Wozniacki (DEN)	6	3	6
	8	C Wozniacki (DEN)	4	6	6

Bottom half

Section 3

	First round							Second round							Third round							Quarter-finals
	5	S Stosur (AUS)	6	5	8
		C Suárez Navarro (ESP)	3	7	10				C Suárez Navarro (ESP)	3	3
		K Clijsters (BEL)	6	6					K Clijsters (BEL)	6	6
		R Vinci (ITA)	1	4												K Clijsters (BEL)	6	6
	PR	Á Szávay (HUN)	3	3											11	A Ivanovic (SRB)	3	4
	IP	E Baltacha (GBR)	6	6				IP	E Baltacha (GBR)	4	6^5
		C McHale (USA)	4	5				11	A Ivanovic (SRB)	6	7^7
	11	A Ivanovic (SRB)	6	7																			K Clijsters (BEL)	2	5
	15	S Lisicki (GER)	4	6	7																	3	M Sharapova (RUS)	6	7
	IP	O Jabeur (TUN)	6	0	5			15	S Lisicki (GER)	4	6	7
		S Halep (ROU)	4	2					Y Shvedova (KAZ)	6	3	5
		Y Shvedova (KAZ)	6	6											15	S Lisicki (GER)	7^10	4	3
	Alt	L Robson (GBR)	7^7	6											3	M Sharapova (RUS)	6^8	6	6
		L Šafářová (CZE)	6^4	4				Alt	L Robson (GBR)	6^5	3
		S Pe'er (ISR)	2	0				3	M Sharapova (RUS)	7^7	6
	3	M Sharapova (RUS)	6	6

Section 4

	First round							Second round							Third round							Quarter-finals
	6	P Kvitová (CZE)	6	5	6
		K Bondarenko (UKR)	4	7	4			6	P Kvitová (CZE)	7	2	6
		S-w Hsieh (TPE)	3	7^7	5				S Peng (CHN)	5	6	1
		S Peng (CHN)	6	6^3	7										6	P Kvitová (CZE)	6	6
		S Cîrstea (ROU)	2	6	2											F Pennetta (ITA)	3	0
		F Pennetta (ITA)	6	4	6				F Pennetta (ITA)	7	6
		T Pironkova (BUL)	7^7	6					T Pironkova (BUL)	5	1
	12	D Cibulková (SVK)	6^4	2																		6	P Kvitová (CZE)	6^3	3
	14	M Kirilenko (RUS)	6	1																		14	M Kirilenko (RUS)	7^7	6
	IP	M Duque Mariño (COL)	0	1^r				14	M Kirilenko (RUS)	6	6
		S Soler Espinosa (ESP)	2	2				IP	H Watson (GBR)	3	2
	IP	H Watson (GBR)	6	6											14	M Kirilenko (RUS)	7^7	6
		V Lepchenko (USA)	7	6^6	6											J Görges (GER)	6^5	3
	INV	V Cepede Royg (PAR)	5	7^8	2				V Lepchenko (USA)	3	5
		J Görges (GER)	7	6^5	6				J Görges (GER)	6	7
	2	A Radwańska (POL)	5	7^7	4

References

1. "Tennis". London 2012 Organization Committee. Archived from the original on 4 December 2012. Retrieved 7 July 2012.
2. "Singles, Women". Olympedia. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
3. "Tennis stars excited for London Olympics". The Press Association. 23 June 2012. Retrieved 7 July 2012.
4. "Women's Singles". BBC. Retrieved 10 July 2012.