Tennis Players Top List Of Olympic Flag Bearers – Updated

by Staff | July 18th, 2012, 10:43 am
  • 59 Comments

Tennis will be front and center during the 2012 London Olympics ceremonial “Parade of Nations” that marks the opening of the games.

With many countries like Switzerland (Federer), China (Li Na), USA (Venus), Great Britain (Murray) yet to officially name their flag bearer, tennis has already boasted nine players named for the honor, among the most of any Olympic sporting discipline.

The opening ceremony takes place on July 27 at Olympic Stadium in London, England. The tennis event begins the next day on Saturday, July 28. For more information visit our Olympics tennis page.


National Flag Bearers – Tennis Players (8)
Max Mirnyi – Belarus (BLR)
Marcos Baghdatis – Cyprus (CYP)
Stephanie Vogt – Liechtenstein (LIE)
Agnieszka Radwanska – Poland (POL)
Horia Tecau – Romania (ROM)
Novak Djokovic – Serbia (SRB)
Stanislas Wawrinka – Switzerland (SUI)
Maria Sharapova – Russia (RUS)

(As of July 18. This list will be updated continuously.)

At 2008 Beijing, two players carried the flag: Roger Federer (Switzerland), Fernando Gonzalez (Chile).
At 2004 Athens, four players enjoyed the honor: Federer (Switzerland), Claudine Schaul (Luxembourg), Paradorn Srichaphan (Thailand), Abdo Abdallah (Djibouti).

UPDATE
Pironkova will no longer carry the flag for Bulgaria (July 22)
Stanislas Wawrinka has been named Switzerland’s flag bearer (July 23)


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59 Comments for Tennis Players Top List Of Olympic Flag Bearers – Updated

metan Says:

Cool!! Rafa is back, vamos!


RZ Says:

Nice to see some doubles specialists lauded for their careers.


Humble Rafa Says:

My country needs as many gold medals as we can get. The Chief Beggar, I mean, our PM, says he needs it to pay interest on our debt.


RZ Says:

BTW, I read that Federer was offered the honor but is thinking of declining to give someone else the chance to carry the flag.


metan Says:

@rz,
Superman less power?


RZ Says:

@metan, sorry, I don’t follow.


Everyone is entitled to my opinion Says:

According to this report, it doesn’t sound like Federer has been asked:

Federer the Reluctant Flag-Bearer
by Mel Wong

The record-breaking, 17-time Grand Slam champion and all-round tennis master that is Roger Federer has claimed to be “undecided” as to whether or not he will be Switzerland’s official flag-bearer for the 2012 London Olympics opening ceremony.

Having already performed flag-bearing duties for his native country at two other summer Olympic games, he confirmed today that despite being “offered” he may give “another athlete the chance” of carrying the flag on the world’s stage.


Humble Rafa Says:

Sompe people want to carry the flat all the time. Expecially when there are other deserving athletes in the country.


Sinnet Says:

I’m really digging all the love the tennis players are getting from their countries. :)


RZ Says:

@ Everyone is entitled to my opinion: how does that article make it sound as if Federer was not asked to carry the flag? Isn’t that implied by “offered”?


bstevens Says:

Agreed Sinnet, it appears that tennis is getting more respect on the world stage. Should be a memorable Olympics specifically for the tennis being on Wimbledon grass. It will be strange to see the players wearing non-white colours on the courts.


Angel Says:

Humble Rafa, I ask you: Is there any active athlete in the whole world right now more deserving for a flag bearer of any country than Roger Federer?
I can’t think of any individual big sport active athlete who deserves it more than Roger, at least you put the whole Spain Soccer team to carry the flag then there is no one as deserving.


alison Says:

Tennis is my favourite sport,so its also great for me personally to see so many players as flag bearers,and i agree after this land mark in his career,i thougt Roger would have been a dead cert to bear the flag,hmm shocked to say the least.


Leila Says:

Fed said in an interview that he got offered to carry the flag but that he might give an other athlete the opportunity.


Dave Says:

Federer has been flag bearer a record two times for Switzerland (2004, 2008). He doesn’t need to extend the record or hog the limelight, preferring to give others a chance.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_flag_bearers_for_Switzerland_at_the_Olympics


metan Says:

@dave,
Roger once again shows a good example not being greedy, willing to share,,,,,good news!


Gregoire Gentil Says:

@dave, be careful to what you say. If GOAT hears that flag bearer can be now counted for an all-time record, he will change his mind and carry it one more time!


Barbara Says:

Great Rafa!!! win it for us!


Michael Says:

The goal for any athelete is to carry the National Flag in the World’s most Premiere event -The Olympics. It should be a great honour to Nadal that he is the flag bearer for Spain which has a very strong contingent. And Novak too, is leading Serbia. As regards Roger,he has been quite gracious enough to share this honour and he doesn’t wish to hog the limelight.


metan Says:

Rafa is so handsome, tks staff for putting it up.


metan Says:

@mark,

I did watch the sky sport aired nadal, it was incredible, awesome. He is worthy to be loved.

Big thanks for those who did great job to posting in you tube. I am sure you have a copy, ha,,,,ha


Mark Says:

@Alison. Did you enjoy Sporting Greats – Rafael Nadal? I certainly did. Loved the comment from the Narrator “From the boy champion to a sporting great”. @ metan. Am pleased you found it on U Tube.


Mark Says:

Gregoire Gentil. Lol.


alison Says:

Mark yeah i did watch it and enjoyed it very much,especially that comment you mentioned, shame i was dissapointed that the program was not longer though,cant get enough of Rafa sometimes lol.


Dave Says:

Gregoire Gentil, be careful what you say… Mark is the only person laughing.

If Fed does carry the flag it would probably be because all the alternates turned it down and insist Federer caries it for Switzerland.


jamie Says:

Federer is the most likely to win the gold.

He is better on grass than Nole and Nadal this year.


metan Says:

@jamie,
Sally kirkman said london is gemini city, so probably femini people will pocket the gold. Who is the gemini tennis player?


jamie Says:

@metan

Hopefully Nole. He is a gemini.

Nadal is a non-factor in off clay finals these days. He never wins the off clay finals anymore. Not since October 2010. LOL.

Nadal fans will probably have to wait until Monte Carlo 2013 for him to win another title.

He will only win RG from now on.


jamie Says:

Nadal will probably win 1 or 2 more RG but that’s it.

Federer probably will win another Wimbledon. But that’s it.

Nole is the most likely to win at all the slams from now. I can see Nole winning at the AO, FO, Wimbledon and USO. He is an all courter while Nadal can only win at RG atm and Federer can only win at the indoors Wimbledon championship atm.


RZ Says:

scineram – I just saw that too. Good news (and about time!)


metan Says:

@ jamie, I don’t think so, he always gives us surprise, look at his statistics.

Rafa is GEMINI and his HOME TOWN is Gemini too.
ROLL EYES!


jochi Says:

i have great faith in rafa n he will surely win the olympic. my prayers r for u. all the best


Thomas Says:

@jamie
But didn’t you say that rafa had the best chart for the US Open? Btw, has the psychic predicted who will win the olympics?


jamie Says:

@Thomas

I don’t care what the psychic says. Nadal sucks off clay now.


jamie Says:

My money is on Nole to win the USO.


jamie Says:

@metan

Nadal stinks on grass these days. Grass is the surface where he has declined the most. He lost at Wimbledon to some Challenger player. Says how much he stinks of grass now.

Gold will be won by Federer or Nole.


Mark Says:

Jamie is the new psychic on this forum. He doesn’t need the help of the professionals anymore. What a clever chap!!


jamie Says:

Edit: Says how much he stinks on grass now.


metan Says:

@jamie,

My money is for Rafa only, he is hardly disappointed me,
Risoto risole rosol was old song, life goes on n new day is coming.


Thomas Says:

“I don’t care what the psychic says. Nadal sucks off clay now.”

I agree with you a 100% Jamie. Is is possible that the psyschic prediction of who will win changes between now and the US Open?(ie will position of the planets change etc)


jamie Says:

On HC Nole is THE MAN. He will win USO like he also won the AO.

USO is not RG or indoor Wimbledon Championships. Time for Fedal TO LOSE.


jamie Says:

@Thomas

The planetary alignments won’t change to what they are supposed to be like in August/September.


jamie Says:

@Thomas

But there is a chance some player has a better DEBUT(first match played) chart for the USO than Nadal but that will only be possible to be determined AFTER all the top 4 play their first match.


Thomas Says:

@Jamie “But there is a chance some player has a better DEBUT(first match played) chart for the USO than Nadal but that will only be possible to be determined AFTER all the top 4 play their first match.”

What significance does this have though? Will this mean that nadal could possibly lose early at this event(in spite of his good chart) Btw, what are Federer and Noles charts like for the US Open?


jamie Says:

@Thomas

The Argie psychic said Nadal has the same planetary alignments for the USO this year that he had when he won:

Wimbledon and Olympics 2008

AO 2009

RG, Wimbledon and USO 2010

So this is why Nadal is Mente Perfecta’s fave to win the USO.

But sometimes players have an amazing(incredible, very lucky) debut chart at a tournament that trumps everything and everyone else like for example Nole at Wimbledon and USO last year. It was clear he would win after looking at his fantastic debut chart.


Thomas Says:

@Jamie
So we will only know for sure who will win after the astrologers see all the debut charts of all the players at the start of the US Opne? Btw, which type of astrology is the most accurate?(ie chinese, vedic,western etc) ?


jamie Says:

@Thomas

Yes, we have to see the debut charts of the top players to give the official winner.

Western traditional astrology is the most accurate.


Mark Says:

Nadal has pulled out of the London Olympics. He is not in condition to compete!


Thomas Says:

@Jamie

didnt you say that nadal would get injured lots this yr and next as it was written in the stars? Is this latest injury a habringer of things to come?


An Says:

Roger Federer is in the Olympics, right?


dari Says:

Go stan!


Scott Says:

congrats to stan! i suppose it’s all in fairness…roger has had the honors of carrying his nation’s flag the previous two olympic ceremonies and stan is a defending gold medalist with roger so it’s appropriate.

does anybody know the reason why pironkova was immediately changed? was it her decision or her federation’s?


Humble Rafa Says:

I know why the Arrogant One gave the flag bearing duties to Stan “The Best Backhand in Switzerland” wawrinka. He wants to make up with the Best Backhand for what he said about Stan’s play during the Davis Cup loss to the US.


RZ Says:

Nice that Stan gets to carry the flag. I know he’s a gold medalist, but I have to ask…don’t the Swiss have anyone else who could have carried it? (Maybe not for the summer games?)


RZ Says:

Scott, I’m not sure it was ever confirmed that Pironkova would actually carry the flag (that’s what it sounded like from earlier blurbs I’d read)


Dave Says:

Wawrinka is a “good choice” to be flag bearer, according to 80% polled by a Swiss newspaper. He won one of two gold medals for Switzerland at the 2008 Olympics. Probably the only other candidate was cyclist Fabian Cancellara — he won the only other gold medal in 2008 and he holds the distinction of wearing the yellow jersey the most times (28) without winning the Tour de France.


RZ Says:

Dave, thanks for the info. I think Stan is a good choice, I was just curious about other Swiss summer athletes.

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