Clara Tauson has played one Olympic match: at the Paris 2024 Games she lost in the first round to Bianca Andreescu, 2-6, 3-6. Three years earlier she turned down a late place at the Tokyo Olympics because of injury. This is the full Clara Tauson Olympics story – and what it takes to qualify for Los Angeles in 2028.
Clara Tauson at the Olympics: overview
The Olympics run in the family: her uncle Michael Tauson played for Denmark at the 1988 Games in Seoul. For a Danish tennis player the Olympics are one of the few chances to represent Denmark outside the Billie Jean King Cup. Her Olympic record as of 25 October 2026:
| Games | Venue | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Tokyo 2020 (held in 2021) | Tokyo | Did not play – declined a late place because of injury |
| Paris 2024 | Roland Garros, clay | First round: lost 2-6, 3-6 to Bianca Andreescu (Canada) |
| Los Angeles 2028 | Los Angeles | Qualification decided by the WTA rankings of 12 June 2028 |
She has yet to win an Olympic match. Mixed doubles, which is also on the Olympic programme, is something she has played for Denmark with Holger Rune at the 2023 Hopman Cup – read about the two on Clara Tauson and Holger Rune.
Tokyo 2020: a late place declined
The Tokyo Games were postponed by a year because of the pandemic and held in summer 2021. Tauson was 18 and in a breakthrough year, having won her first WTA title in Lyon in March. She was not in the original field but was offered a late place.
According to TV 2 (13 July 2021) she declined the Olympic ticket because she was injured; in April she had already retired from a quarterfinal in Charleston with a knee injury. Instead she focused on the rest of a season that became her best so far: the WTA 125 title in Chicago, round two at the US Open and her second WTA title in Luxembourg in September.
Paris 2024: Olympic debut against Bianca Andreescu
The road to Paris ran through the same clay. At the 2024 French Open she reached the fourth round, and the points lifted her high enough in the rankings to qualify directly for the Olympics. The Olympic tennis event was played on the Roland Garros clay shortly after Wimbledon.
In round one she met Canada's Bianca Andreescu and lost 2-6, 3-6; DR described a frustrated Tauson after her Olympic debut. Her coach at the time was Lars Christensen, who also coached Holger Rune for many years. Her French Open run that year is covered on Clara Tauson at the French Open.
The defeat came in a difficult summer. She had lost in the first round of Wimbledon to Danielle Collins and also lost her first match in Canada after the Games. Results only returned in the autumn, with a WTA 125 final in Hong Kong, and she finished 2024 ranked No. 52.
Clara Tauson and LA 2028: how Olympic tennis qualification works
The Los Angeles Olympics run from 14 to 30 July 2028. The International Tennis Federation (ITF) has published the tennis qualification system (version of 12 May 2026), and once again it is based mainly on the world rankings:
- The women's singles draw has 64 players, with a maximum of four per country.
- 56 places go directly to the highest-ranked players in the WTA singles rankings of 12 June 2028 – the first ranking after the 2028 French Open.
- One place goes to the host nation, the USA, if no American qualifies on ranking, and one is a universality place for countries with few athletes.
- Six ITF places go to the winners of continental games (the 2026 Asian Games plus the 2027 Pan American, African and Pacific Games) and to former Olympic or Grand Slam singles champions who have not qualified on ranking.
- The women's doubles has 32 teams, both players from the same country, and there is also a mixed doubles event.
The ITF says the date can change in exceptional circumstances, and that the rules on protected rankings – relevant for players returning from injury – will be set out in the event regulations at least 12 months before the Games.
What it means for Clara Tauson
In short, her current ranking does not count directly. Clara Tauson is ranked No. 54 in the WTA rankings (as of 19 October 2026), but what matters is her position on 12 June 2028. Because the ranking is based on the last 52 weeks, the period from summer 2027 to the 2028 French Open will decide whether she gets a direct place. She will be 25 during the Los Angeles Games.
She has not spoken publicly about her plans for 2028, and her 2027 schedule has not been announced. Clara Tauson ended her 2026 season on 14 October after a calf injury in Wuhan. Follow her progress on Clara Tauson ranking.
Olympic roots: gold at the 2017 European Youth Olympic Festival
She already has an Olympic-style medal from her junior years. In July 2017 the 14-year-old won gold at the European Youth Olympic Festival (EYOF) in Győr, Hungary, which DR called the youth Olympics.
In January 2019 she was named "Olympic Hope of the Year 2018" at DR's sports awards, a prize worth DKK 75,000, and shortly afterwards she won the Australian Open girls' title. The rest of her path from talent to the top 20 is on Clara Tauson career.
Clara Tauson Olympics: questions and answers
Has Clara Tauson played at the Olympics?
Yes. She played for Denmark at the Paris 2024 Olympics, losing in the first round to Bianca Andreescu, 2-6, 3-6. For the Tokyo Games, held in 2021, she declined a late place because of injury.
Why did Clara Tauson miss the Tokyo Olympics?
She was offered a late place but, according to TV 2, turned it down in July 2021 because she was injured. She had not been in the original field.
How did Clara Tauson qualify for Paris 2024?
She qualified through the WTA rankings. Her fourth round at the 2024 French Open lifted her high enough to earn a direct place in the Olympic event.
Can Clara Tauson play at the LA 2028 Olympics?
That will be decided by the WTA rankings of 12 June 2028, when the top 56 eligible players get direct places (a maximum of four per country). Her current ranking does not count directly, and she has not announced any plans for 2028.