The Olympic title is one of the most sought-after prizes in men’s tennis, with players from around the world battling it out for gold every four years.
The 2024 Olympic Games won’t soon be forgotten, as the event saw Novak Djokovic finally win the one title that had eluded him.
After securing bronze in 2008 and finishing fourth in 2012 and 2021, Djokovic beat Carlos Alcaraz in the final to win gold for the first time.
In doing so, he joined an elite group of singles gold medal winners, which includes Andre Agassi, Andy Murray, and Rafael Nadal.
Djokovic’s greatest rival, Nadal, won his gold medal 17 years ago, taking down an Olympic history maker en route to the title.
Rafael Nadal beat Chile’s Fernando Gonzalez to win Olympic gold in 2008
Nadal and Roger Federer traveled to Beijing in 2008 as hot favorites to win the title, alongside Serbia’s Djokovic.
The top three seeds all qualified for the quarterfinals, although that was where the first of the trio would fall.
Federer lost to James Blake in straight sets 4-6, 6-7, whilst Nadal beat Jurgen Melzer and Djokovic beat Gael Monfils to set up a mouth-watering semi-final clash.
There, Nadal got the better of Djokovic in three sets, 6-4, 1-6, 6-4, to advance to the final on his Olympic debut.
Standing between Nadal and the Olympic title was Chile’s Fernando Gonzalez, who had outlasted Blake in the semi-finals 4-6, 7-5, 11-9.
Having picked up a bronze medal in singles four years earlier, Gonzalez, nicknamed ‘Mano de Piedra’ (Hand of stone), was looking for more Olympic success in 2008.
It wasn’t to be, however, as Nadal won in three sets 6-3, 7-6, 6-3, to win Olympic gold.
A silver medal for Gonzalez was still mightily impressive as he became just the fourth player to complete the set of all three medals in Olympic tennis.
Not only had Gonzalez won Olympic bronze in the singles at the Athens games, but partnering Nicolas Massu, he had won gold in the doubles.
Gonzalez and Massu’s win saw Chile take home their first-ever Olympic gold medal, a tally that was doubled just days later, when Massu beat Mardy Fish to win the singles title.
Remarkably, across two Olympic tournaments, a nation with limited tennis pedigree took home four medals, shocking fans around the world.
- 2004 Olympics – Nicolas Massu won gold
- 2004 Olympics – Nicolas Massu/Fernando Gonzalez won gold
- 2004 Olympics – Fernando Gonzalez won bronze
- 2008 Olympics – Fernando Gonzalez won silver
No Chilean player has won an Olympic medal since, but Gonzalez had already made plenty of history for his country.
Fernando Gonzalez became the first Chilean Grand Slam finalist in 2007
One year before his run to the Olympic final, Gonzalez produced some of the best tennis of his career at the 2007 Australian Open.
Entering the tournament as the number ten seed, Gonzalez beat several big names en route to the final.
| Round | Opponent | Opponent’s seed | Score |
| SF | Tommy Haas | 12th | 6-1, 6-3, 6-1 |
| QF | Rafael Nadal | 2nd | 6-2, 6-4, 6-3 |
| 4R | James Blake | 5th | 7-5, 6-4, 7-6 |
| 3R | Lleyton Hewitt | 19th | 6-2, 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 |
| 2R | Juan Martin del Potro | – | 7-6, 4-6, 6-7, 6-4, 5-0 (RET) |
| 1R | Evgeny Korolev | – | 6-7, 7-6, 6-3, 6-2 |
Making his Grand Slam final debut, Gonzalez took on Federer, the defending champion.
Unfortunately for Gonzalez, Federer was simply too good, as he clinched the title, having not dropped a set all tournament.
The Chilean never returned to a Grand Slam final, reaching one further semi-final, at Roland Garros in 2009.
He retired from tennis in 2012 as one of Chile’s greatest-ever players, enjoying a career many can only dream of.
Fernando Gonzalez’s career achievements
- Career-high ranking – 5th
- Career titles – 11
- Olympic medals – 3 (gold in doubles 2004, bronze in singles 2004, silver in singles 2008)
- ATP Finals appearances – 2 (Lost in RR)
- Best Australian Open performance – Finalist (2007)
- Best French Open performance – Semi-finalist (2009)
- Best Wimbledon performance – Quarterfinalist (2005)
- Best US Open performance – Quarterfinalist (2002, 2009)
- Best Masters 1000 result – Finalist (2006 Madrid Open, 2007 Italian Open)
- Top ten wins – 27
- Wins over world number one – 3
It seems unlikely that any active Chilean players will surpass Gonzalez, as only one player from the nation currently resides in the top 100.
Alejandro Tabilo, the country’s greatest hope, has struggled for form in 2025, despite pulling off a big upset in Monte-Carlo when he beat Djokovic.
Currently injured, world number 55 Tabilo is not expected to make a return until after the grass-court season.
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