There is plenty of clay tennis to be played with Madrid building towards a climactic finish, Rome right around the corner, the year's second major in Paris, and Wimbledon beyond that.  But one event that players are already being asked about is the Olympics.  Olympic tennis is a unique element in the sport, and while virtually every player and fan is looking forward to it, it is fair to wonder if it truly belongs in the global competition.

As some may know, tennis has not always been a part of the Olympics.  It was one of the original nine sports contested in the 1896 Olympics and remained there until 1924.  It would not be for another six decades, however, that it would return as a medal sport.  Since then, it has remained one of the more popular sports in the Olympics and an event many players are eager to contest. 

Of course, it is not surprising that tennis is one of the more popular sports, since it is one of the handful that allows primarily all professionals, rather than amateurs, to vie for medals.  It is also not shocking that many players jump at the chance to vie for those medals.  Since it is the Olympics, an opportunity that only comes once every four years, such a prize naturally holds a certain level of prestige.  The motivating factor of national pride cannot be discounted either.  But as understandable as all of this is, it is not necessarily a justification to keep tennis – at least in its current format – in the Olympics.

First, although there are certainly plenty of players who have stated they would willingly exchange a few major titles for an Olympic Gold or would prefer to win an Olympic medal in lieu of a major, there are still many players who list winning a major as more important than tasting victory in the Olympic Games.  The record books certainly weight the majors more heavily, with an Olympic victory listed as more like the proverbial cherry on top.  Along similar lines, for all that the Olympics are special and unique in some ways, they are also similar to other top tier events on tour.  All of these players already compete against one another week-in and week-out at some of the grandest venues all around the world, so inthat  respect, the Olympics represent just one more stop on the calendar.

One respect in which the Olympics do not completely function like a regular tournament, however, is in who is allowed to compete.  The International Tennis Federation has utilized the Olympics as a means to bolster participation in Davis and Fed Cup by ruling that players need to have made themselves eligible for a set number of ties if they want to play in the Olympics.  Furthermore, while most of the field is based on ranking, the fact that countries are permitted to field only so many competitors means that many who come from nations with deep tennis rosters are bound to be left sitting on the sidelines, while some of their lower-ranked competition is allowed to enter.  That is one of the reasons why the question of rankings points at the Olympics has always been a topic of discussion, and this year has been no different.  Whereas ranking points were awarded in 2012, they will not be up for grabs in 2016, leading some to wonder just how many players will be as keen to compete in Rio as opposed to the tournaments that comprise the US Open Series.

The impact on other tournaments, such as those in the US Open Series, is another element that should be taken into consideration as well.  It is no secret that the tennis calendar is already crowded, and an Olympic year means there is going to be an effect on the other tournaments that fall around it.  Players will often skip a tournament that they ordinarily play in order to contest the Olympics.  This was the case in 2012, and most expect it will be more of the same in 2016 with the US Open Series events likely to take a hit, including the Canadian and Cincinnati Masters.  As prestigious as the Olympics are, do those regular tournaments that support the ATP and WTA Tours on an annual basis deserve be punished with diluted fields and lower attendance every four years just so that tennis can remain in the Olympics?

There is no easy answer to that question or any other question that arises from tennis being among the sports in the Olympic Games.  Fans and players will always look forward to it because it is bound to produce high-quality tennis.  But there are also ample drawbacks to consider, and while it might mean its popularity as an Olympic sport takes a hit, maybe it is time to consider leaving tennis in the Olympics, but leaving it open to only amateurs to compete.