By Chris Oddo

(July 20, 2012) -- Since tennis returned to the Olympic Games after a sixty-four-year hiatus in 1988, there have been a lot of special moments to savor. This year, with tennis taking place on the hallowed grounds of Wimbledon, and with mixed doubles being a part of the competition for the first time, there promises to be even more. But before we dig into the 2012 games, please join us as we take a look back at some of the special moments that have occurred since tennis returned to the Olympics at the Seoul Games in '88.

1. Steffi Graf wins gold en route to the Calendar Year Golden Slam in ‘88

To date, Steffi Graf is the only one to accomplish this remarkable version of the Golden Slam. It boggles the mind just to think of how dominant Graf was in 1988. Her 6-3, 6-3 victory over Gabriela Sabatini put her one step closer to achieving the one feat that many agree will likely be duplicated.

2. Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka secure the gold in men's doubles

This is one of those special moments for Federer fans and tennis fans alike, where we get to see The Swiss Maestro share in a huge victory for Switzerland. So much of Federer's career has been about Roger being an island unto himself -- and shrewdly blocking out his emotions all the while--but this special moment, shared with his good friend Stan Wawrinka shows that there is more to Federer than his singles titles. Federer let his emotions go in Beijing, and the result was pure gold for Switzerland.

3. Elena Dementieva takes home gold for Russia

Everybody wanted Dementieva to win that elusive Slam. She was good enough to get it for sure, and she was gracious enough and captivating enough to win many fans all over the world even though she never did win a Slam. That's why this gold medal-winning effort against Dinara Safina at the 2008 Beijing Games put an ear-to-ear smile on the face of the tennis world. It couldn't have happened to a nicer woman.

4. Agassi wins gold in at the 1996 Atlanta Games

It wasn't so much that Andre Agassi won the gold, it was how excited he was to win the gold that captivated a young generation of tennis players and made them want to follow in his footsteps. John McEnroe and Jim Courier give major credit to Agassi for inspiring generations of young tennis players -- many of which had never coveted Olympic gold -- to start dreaming in gold.

Sixteen years later, the Olympics have come a long way in terms of how they are perceived by players and fans, and many believe that Agassi's starpower had a lot to do with changing that perception.

5. Jennifer Capriati wins gold in Barcelona in 1992

This was J-Cap's only victory over Steffi Graf against ten losses, and it came at the age of sixteen, when all the world was just beginning its love affair with the infectiously smiling American. Capriati, seeded third, upset the top two seeds to accomplish the defining moment of her first career on the red clay in Barcelona. (Read: Flashback: Capriati's Complex Career Captivated All)