Although the 2008 tennis season is barely three months old, Swiss world number one Roger Federer and other leading players are already turning their thoughts towards the Beijing Olympics in August.

For Federer, the Olympic Games are close to the grand slams in importance while Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic believes they might rank even higher because they take place only once every four years.

American Lindsay Davenport will never forget the stirring memories of her triumphant debut at the Atlanta Games in 1996 and Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova says she would prefer to win an Olympic gold medal this year over any of the grand slams.

"For me, it's a big priority of the year," Federer, a winner of 12 grand slam titles, told reporters during the Pacific Life Open at Indian Wells this month.

"The (ATP) tour actually bases its entire schedule around the Olympics Games and I follow that scheme. I want to play in this year's Olympics and I'm going to be there.

"I've already had two great experiences," the 26-year-old Swiss added, referring to Sydney in 2000 when he lost the bronze-medal match to Frenchman Arnaud Di Pasquale and Athens in 2004 when he lost to Czech Tomas Berdych in the second round.

"For me it is already, but maybe some players and some fans need more convincing that the Olympics is big for tennis."

Serbian world number three Djokovic, who clinched his eighth ATP title by beating American Mardy Fish in the Pacific Life Open final last weekend, agrees.

"I rate them (the Games) probably on the top, one of the tops for sure," the 20-year-old said. "I mean come on, it's the Olympics.