8 Olympic pairings: the men
This article was originally published in 2019.
2021 is fast approaching, and that means the Summer Olympics will be upon us once again. Federer has already confirmed that he will be there to compete for his first Olympic Men’s Singles gold medal, a title that has thus far evaded him.
One of the most fascinating parts about Olympic tennis is the doubles. Global superstars create pairings that you typically won’t see anywhere else. Many countries have multiple big-name tennis players, and predicting who will be playing doubles with who is always a fun pre-Olympic activity.
Eight potential Olympic Men’s Doubles pairings that we can’t wait to watch
So, without further ado, lets dive into our predictions for the most interesting Men’s Doubles possibilities for the 2021 Olympics. Plus, read our predictions for the Women’s Doubles and Mixed Doubles competitions.
America: John Isner & Reilly Opelka
Why they excite us: Two almost seven-foot-tall players? You try lobbing over that. Big power, bigger serves, and the biggest presence at the net. Furthermore, our sister company Topnotch Management manages both of them… Sounds like reason enough to root for them in our opinion!
Proposed celebrity couple team name: Opelkner
Canada: Felix Auger-Aliassime & Denis Shapovalov
Why they excite us: Two of the youngest players in the ATP top 100, Denis and Felix grew up playing with—and against—each other. Both are amazing tennis talents with bright Olympic tennis futures. Moreover, as we saw during this year’s US Open, Canada has some hungry tennis fans ready to celebrate Olympic glory.
Proposed celebrity couple team name: Shappassime
Australia: Alex de Minaur & Nick Kyrgios
Why they excite us: Bad boy and fast boy. Alex can cover most of the court while Nick screams at the umpire/fans/line judges/sky. Entertaining matches and Nick Kyrgios are almost synonymous at this point. (We enjoyed a few from our suite seats in Cincinnati.) Couple that with wild Aussie fans and we have a pairing worth keeping an eye or two on!
Proposed celebrity couple team name: Kyrginaur
Great Britain: Cameron Norrie & Andy Murray
Why they excite us: Andy Murray knows how to go for gold. Norrie is young, hungry, and a great complement for Andy’s style. (Cameron Norrie is another Topnotch athlete, too.)
Proposed celebrity couple team name: Norray
Switzerland: Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka
Why they excite us: Doesn’t this excite everyone?
Proposed celebrity couple team name: Fedrinka
Italy: Matteo Berrettini & Fabio Fognini
Why they excite us: Matteo burst onto the scene this year with excellent runs at major tournaments, including a semifinal appearance at the US Open. Meanwhile, Fognini surged to the cusp of being in the top 10 in the world in singles. Therefore, they hold the second-highest average singles ranking of all the teams listed in this article! Mamma mia, look for this team to be putting bread sticks on the scoreboard.
Proposed celebrity couple team name: Ttininini (Wait, do you have to be able to pronounce these?)
Russia: Daniil Medvedev & Karen Khachanov
Why they excite us: Two big, young, and strong top 10 singles players on one team. Besides, anything with Medvedev is so hot right now. A big name team that can snag big name results if it all comes together!
Proposed celebrity couple team name: Khachedev
Japan: Kei Nishikori & Yoshihito Nishioka
Why they excite us: Both of these excellent singles players have a huge following of Japanese fans that will pack the stadiums to see their two favorite stars take a medal for the home country. Kei has been a star for a while, and Yoshi is proving his name is worth remembering. Expect passionate Japanese fans at every one of their matches. Plus, Yoshi is a Topnotch Management athlete!
Proposed celebrity couple team name: Yoshikori
