Novak Djokovic continues his Olympic gold quest by defeating Rafael Nadal in their second-round match. Djokovic, 37, showcased his dominance by winning 6-1, 6-4 on the Roland Garros clay.
Novak Djokovic started strong, quickly establishing a 4-0 lead in the second set. Despite Nadal’s effort to eliminate the double break, Djokovic’s relentless play secured the victory. “I’m very relieved,” Djokovic said. “Everything was going my way, but I played a sloppy service game and gave him chances.”
Known as the King of Clay, Nadal’s 14 French Open titles weren’t enough to challenge Djokovic’s form. The two legends, with 46 Grand Slam singles titles between them, shared a respectful embrace at the net. Djokovic now leads their head-to-head record 31-29 after their 60th meeting.
Reflecting on their long-standing rivalry, Novak Djokovic remarked, “I never thought back in 2006 that we’d still be playing each other almost 20 years later.” This win marks just the fifth time Nadal has lost in 118 singles matches at Roland Garros.
Novak Djokovic has achieved almost everything in men’s singles tennis, including 24 Grand Slam titles and victories in every ATP Masters event. However, the Olympic title remains elusive. Djokovic’s performance against the 2008 gold medalist Nadal, especially after knee surgery eight weeks ago, underscores his determination.
Nadal, struggling with a thigh injury, couldn’t match Djokovic’s intensity until the late stages of the match. Nadal, who has a statue at Roland Garros, will return for men’s doubles alongside Carlos Alcaraz. Although Nadal hinted at retirement after the 2024 season, he expressed a desire to continue playing as long as possible. This match might have been his last singles appearance on Court Philippe Chatrier.
The future of their rivalry remains uncertain, making this victory even more significant for Novak Djokovic.
In other Olympic tennis news, British pair Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski lost in the men’s doubles first round. Andy Murray and Dan Evans are now the only British representatives in the event. Evans lost to Greek eighth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in the singles second round, saying, “He’s an amazing tennis player and was too good.”
Poland’s Iga Swiatek, a favorite for gold in women’s singles, advanced to the third round. American second seed Coco Gauff, Italian fourth seed Jasmine Paolini, Czech ninth seed Barbora Krejcikova, Greek seventh seed Maria Sakkari, and Germany’s Angelique Kerber also progressed.
Kerber, 36, is playing her final tournament, having announced her retirement after the Games.
