2008 Australian Open – Women's Singles lost to Ivanovic in the fourth round. 2008 Australian Open – Women's Singles Serena Williams was the defending champion, but was defeated in the quarterfinals by Jelena Janković. Maria Sharapova, the runner-up to Williams in 2007, won in the final 7–5, 6–3, against Ana Ivanovic to win her third Grand Slam title and her first at the Australian Open. She was also the first Russian woman to win this tournament. Ivanovic lost in a Grand Slam final for the second time, though she would eventually win the French Open a few months later. This was the first Australian Open appearance
Tennis at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Women's singles medal match over home player Li Na. Tennis at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Women's singles The Women's Singles tennis competition at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing was held from August 10 to August 17 at the Olympic Green Tennis Centre. The DecoTurf surface rendered the event a hardcourt tournament. Justine Henin was the defending champion who won gold in the 2004 Olympics in Athens. She retired from the sport earlier that year. Elena Dementieva of Russia defeated compatriot Dinara Safina in the first and only all-Russian final in the tennis Olympics, 3–6, 7–5, 6–3, Dementieva took the gold.