Paris: Novak Djokovic took a significant step towards his first Olympic gold medal by defeating Rafael Nadal 6-1, 6-4 in the men’s singles event at the Paris Olympics on Monday. The highly anticipated match took place at the Philippe-Chatrier court, marking a pivotal moment in their storied rivalry.
The last time these tennis giants met on this court, Nadal triumphed in a four-set quarterfinal in 2022. However, this time, Djokovic dominated from the outset. The world No. 2 seized control early, claiming the first set 6-1 and quickly establishing a commanding 4-0 lead in the second.
Despite the early setbacks, Nadal, 38, showcased his renowned fighting spirit. He started landing his heavy topspin forehands, breaking Djokovic’s serve and leveling the set at 4-4. The Spaniard’s retrieval of a Djokovic smash with a smash of his own, followed by a precise forehand into the open court, thrilled the audience and shifted the momentum.
Djokovic, however, proved unyielding. He broke Nadal’s serve once more with a delicate drop shot on his fourth breakpoint, taking a 5-4 lead and then held serve to clinch the match. This victory improved Djokovic’s ATP head-to-head record against Nadal to 31-29.
The win also served as Olympic redemption for Djokovic, who was defeated by Nadal on his way to gold in Beijing 2008. Djokovic, who earned bronze in Beijing, now matches Steffi Graf’s record for the most Olympic singles match wins since 1988, with 15 victories.
Djokovic will face either Germany’s Dominik Koepfer or Italy’s Matteo Arnaldi in the third round as he continues his quest for Olympic glory.
For Nadal, this year has been challenging. After an early exit at Roland Garros in May to Alexander Zverev and missing the grass-court season, he returned to compete at the ATP 250 event in Bastad, reaching the final.
Nadal managed a hard-fought victory over Marton Fucsovics in the first round of the Paris Olympics but couldn’t sustain that level against Djokovic. Despite hitting 20 winners, Nadal’s numerous unforced errors ultimately allowed Djokovic to secure the win after an hour and 41 minutes of high-intensity play.