Serbian Novak Djokovic sent Rafael Nadal out of the Paris 2024 singles tournament by beating him convincingly in two sets on Monday, on the court where the Spaniard is the ‘king’, to advance in his quest for his first Olympic gold.
On his home court, the most successful Roland Garros player suffered in the first set and struggled in the second set of a second-round match that ‘Nole’ won 6-1 and 6-4 to take his 31st win, compared to the Spaniard’s 29, in the most repeated duel in the history of tennis.
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In doubt until the last minute due to discomfort in his right thigh, Rafael lacked any answers to the solid play of the 24-time Grand Slam champion.
The battle broke out from the first game with long exchanges that ended up confirming the Serbian’s serve.
Djokovic took cues from Nadal’s first-round match against Hungary’s Marton Fucsovics, combining ground balls with short balls to quickly go 3-0 up.
The Mallorcan knew that he was going into the game physically challenged, as he has had a problem with his right leg since he intensified his training in Paris.
With doubts about his fitness, Nadal warned beforehand that he did not know if he had the competitive rhythm necessary to play against his archrival, but that the Games were worth a try.
His rhythm was not there, but Paris paid him back once again with the total dedication of the public.
Each hard-earned point by Rafael sparked euphoria on a packed Roland Garros center court, the Philippe Chatrier, which also honored Djokovic by celebrating his most brilliant points.
The Mallorcan managed to save a game to avoid what would have been a scoreless set against the Serbian, who took the first set 6-1.
Nadal Fought, Djokovic was Superior
Without giving up and faithful to his fighting spirit, Nadal came out to resist in the second set but the Serbian was there determined to finish his job quickly.
Break in the first, angered by the squabbles on the court, and once again ‘Nole’ was ahead 3-0 thanks to an overwhelming dominance.
Rafael found his strength again and took advantage of a break point to go 4-3 up, unleashing madness among a crowd that wanted reasons to believe in a miracle.
Nadal repaid his rival in the same coin, bringing him to the net and going 15-30 before ‘Djoko’ missed a shot to remain with two break points against him.
An open first serve inside and a second point that ended with a perfect shot from the Mallorcan, which left Djokovic without a response, tied the score at 4-4, something that had been unthinkable minutes before.
This was followed by an exciting game, with back and forth, which ended with a ‘drop’ by ‘Nole’ to get one game away from the victory that he achieved in the second by 6-4.
In this way, ‘Nole’ equaled the Olympic record that began between the two in Beijing 2008, when Rafael beat the Serbian on his way to winning his only Olympic gold in singles.
Without singles and if his body allows it, Nadal will now focus on doubles, which he plays with Carlos Alcaraz.
Nadal has not yet confirmed whether the Olympics will be the last tournament of his illustrious career. There has been much discussion about that, given his recent physical problems, including hip surgery last year, and his link to Roland Garros, where he has set a record with 14 titles.
Top seed Djokovic will next face the winner of the match between Germany’s Dominik Koepfer and Italy’s Matteo Arnaldi. The Serbian is seeking the first Olympic gold medal of his career, which includes 24 major titles.
Nadal continues competing in doubles alongside Carlos Alcaraz.
