ITF

World No. 1 Serena, later citing a shoulder injury, was dumped out of the singles by Elina Svitolina in straight sets in the third round, while Venus lost to Kirsten Flipkens in her opening match. It was a story of similar woe for the sisters in the doubles, as the top seeds fell in the first round to eventual bronze medal winners Lucie Safarova and Barbora Strycova. In spite of a tough tournament for the Williams sisters, Americans still enjoyed a healthy presence on the podium. Jack Sock and Bethanie Mattek-Sands edged Venus and Ram to gold in a tight mixed doubles final, while Sock doubled up with Steve Johnson to take bronze in the men's doubles. Madison Keys was perhaps unlucky not to come away with a medal, her otherwise fine tournament ending with back- to-back defeats to Kerber in the semifinals and Kvitova in a three-set bronze medal play-off. The power of the Olympics was perhaps most evident in the reaction of Radek Stepanek, who was close to tears after securing mixed doubles bronze alongside Lucie Hradecka to ensure five Czech players took tennis medals home from Rio. "I can compare this with the Davis Cup finals… I think the nicest, deepest and strongest emotions you can only achieve when you play for your country," said Stepanek, the first Czech male to win an Olympic tennis medal in 28 years. "It is something amazingly special." Images, left to right: Venus Williams won her fifth Olympic medal, teaming to mixed doubles silver with Rajeev Ram Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Jack Sock won the all-American mixed doubles final Brazilian support in the stands Bronze medallists Radek Stepanek and Lucie Hradecka ensured five Czech tennis medals in Rio

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