Tennis legend Todd Woodbridge has issued a plea to Max Purcell to join the Australian Olympic team in Paris amid suggestions he will snub the Games entirely if he’s not playing singles.

Purcell won the Wimbledon doubles crown in 2022 with Matthew Ebden, before the pair split ahead of the Australian swing at the end of that year.

Purcell had been largely known as a doubles player to that point, and cited a desire to renew his focus on his singles playing.

FOLLOW LIVE: State of Origin game one

READ MORE: Shock as Djokovic pulls out of Roland-Garros

READ MORE: ‘I have no words’: Boxing champ dies in crash

The Olympics uses a 64-player draw, with the top-56 in the world rankings automatically earning a spot, with a maximum of four players per country. Purcell rose to a career-high No.40 last October, but has since slipped to No.94.

He was knocked out of Roland-Garros in the first round, losing to German world No.221 Henri Squire in a five-set epic 6-2, 6-2, 3-6, 4-6, 7-6 (12-10).

Alex de Minaur and Jordan Thompson are all but locked in to Paris. Alexei Popyrin is also ranked 51st, but may slip when the rankings are recalculated on Monday. There will not likely be any Aussie women on the singles draw.

Speaking on Nine’s Roland-Garros coverage, Woodbridge said Purcell and Ebden would be a medal chance, and pleaded for them to rekindle the partnership.

Watch Roland-Garros 2024 live and exclusively free on Nine and 9Now. Plus four courts in 4K UHD on Stan Sport, the home of grand slam tennis.

“You guys are Wimbledon champions, grand slam champions, you could very comfortably –  with the right bit of luck and a good draw – walk away as an Olympic gold medallist, or any of those colours,” he said.

“I can promise you, that will be one of the greatest trophies you could ever have in your career.”

The extra eight players on the singles draw are made up of the top four players from Olympic countries not already represented, two for former medallists or grand slam champions, one extra for the host nation, and a ‘universality’ spot for a player from an underrepresented nation.

Given Purcell’s ranking has slipped to 94, and the qualifying cut-off is Monday after the Roland-Garros finals, Purcell is no chance of playing singles.

The doubles qualification goes of the highest ranking – singles or doubles – of the pair. Given Ebden is ranked No.3 in the doubles, they would automatically qualify.

Woodbridge and doubles partner Mark Woodforde won Olympic gold at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, before claiming silver in Sydney.

The pair completed the career doubles Grand Slam with victory at Roland-Garros in 2000.

But Woodbridge said given the choice of winning a slam or an Olympic medal, it was an easy choice.

“The opportunity to represent your country … you talk about winning Roland-Garros, I’d take the Olympic medal over winning Roland-Garros every single day. 

“Max, think about it. It might be something you live to regret if you don’t (play). 

“And then if you do, and you walk away with it, it will be something you will honour for the rest of your life.”

Like Wimbledon did for the London 2012 Olympics, Roland-Garros will also be the host in Paris.