The second round of the tennis tournament at the 2024 Paris Olympics saw two of the greatest tennis players of all time, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, face each other. Djokovic emerged victorious, beating Nadal in straight sets (6-1, 6-4).
The match, dubbed as a potential last face-off between the two rivals, didn’t offer as much excitement as expected. Djokovic dominated the first set, getting a 5-0 lead before finally losing a game.
It was more of the same early in the second set, with Djokovic taking a 4-0 lead before Nadal made an inspired comeback attempt and won four straight games. However, Djokovic didn’t allow for any surprises and finished off Nadal in the next two games.
The clash at the 2024 Olympics was the 60th time that Djokovic and Nadal faced each other on a tennis court. Djokovic claimed its 31st victory compared to Nadal’s 29.
Speaking with reporters, Nadal refused to say whether this is the last time he faces Djokovic. The Spaniard struggled with injuries in the past two years and has been lately flirting with retirement.
“I cannot live every single day with the feeling that it’s going to be, or not going to be, my last match. I come here, I try my best, I play. And when I decide to stop playing, or when I decide to keep going, I will let you know. I don’t know,” Nadal said. “If I feel that I am not competitive enough to keep going or physically I am not … ready to keep going, I will stop, and I will let you know.”
This isn’t the end of Nadal’s Paris Olympics campaign, as he is still engaged in a doubles tournament, where he is teamed up with reigning Wimbledon and French Open winner Carlos Alcaraz.
Djokovic, on the other hand, remains focused on winning the Olympic gold medal, which remains the only achievement missing from his impressive resume.
