For the first time tennis sat at the top table at an Olympic Games - and it did not appear out of place.

The magnificent New South Wales Tennis Centre is one of fourteen sporting venues at Sydney Olympic Park, and so for once the sport wasn't tucked away at some far flung site, instead it was to be found within eyeshot of the torch and at the very heart of the Games.

For some, the presence of tennis in the Olympics will never sit easily, but try telling that to the 170 thousand fans who over the ten days of competition witnessed the unstoppable Venus Williams, the inspired Yevgeny Kafelnikov, the shock early defeats of Lleyton Hewitt and Pat Rafter and the career ending gold quest that ultimately resulted in doubles silver for the Woodies.

To a player each and every competitor spoke of their pride at representing their country, of being an Olympian and the simple message to the likes of Pete Sampras, who failed to show up, was that it was their loss.

Those who took part revelled in breaking out of the insular world of tennis and rubbing shoulders with the rest of the sporting world.

Future

But can this be possible in the future? There are serious concerns over Athens 2004 which is scheduled for the two weeks immediately before the US Open.

Already plans are being considered to pack the tennis event into the first week of the games to enable players to head to New York for qualifying rounds at Flushing Meadows.

Alas this is the sport putting the cart before the horse. Tennis derives enormous benefit from the Olympics and not just financially.

It is a chance for it to show off as a major player at the heart of sport's biggest event. Therefore tennis should bend it's calendar and delay the 2004 US Open by a week.

This would ensure the strongest possible Olympic field which is vital to tennis's credibility at the Games. It would not diminish the US Open, instead it would ensure the participation at Flushing Meadows of worthy Olympic gold medallists.

Format

Other changes worth considering would be to the format of the Olympic competition.

In Sydney the American women's team captain Billie Jean King called for it to become a team event, citing the semi final between Venus Williams and Monica Seles in which neither player was happy to be playing against a team-mate.

Better still, in my opinion, would be to settle the early rounds by group matches.

It would be entirely in keeping with Olympic tradition - you don't need to win every heat to take 100 metres gold - and as it provides a second chance the big names are more likely to progress to the latter stages.

Of course the format delivers more matches, so more time would be needed for the tournament.

Added reason for tennis to show how important the Games are to the sport and to take the unprecedented step of delaying the 2004 US Open. Few would question tennis's Olympic credentials then.