Novak Djokovic defeated Rafael Nadal 6-1, 6-4 in their blockbuster Olympic match on Monday, as the two titans battled for the 60th and possibly final time.
The match between the two most successful men’s tennis players in history appeared to be fizzling out until Nadal’s late comeback saved him from his heaviest-ever defeat to Djokovic.
“I’m very relieved,” said Djokovic. “Everything was going my way, I was 6-1, 4-0 up but I played a sloppy service game and gave him chances.”
It was 24-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic’s 31st win in a rivalry that began on the same Roland Garros clay courts in 2006.
“You could feel the tension coming into the match, but also incredible hype, incredible atmosphere on the court,” said Djokovic.
“I never thought back in 2006 that we’d still be playing each other almost 20 years later.”
Nadal confessed Djokovic was the “clear favourite” ahead of their first meeting in over two years, with the Spaniard a shadow of the man who dominated Roland Garros for over two decades.
While 14 of Nadal’s 22 Grand Slam titles have come in Paris, the 38-year-old has been hampered by injuries in recent years, dropping to 161st in the world.
His participation in the singles in Paris had been uncertain until the final minute.
Djokovic’s season has not been particularly successful by his high standards, but the 37-year-old Serbian rose to the occasion in his chase of an elusive Olympic gold medal.
The top seed raced to a 5-0 lead before Nadal finally broke through, but Djokovic finished off the set and soared 4-0 up in the second until Nadal showed some late fight.
Nadal clawed his way back to 4-4, only for Djokovic to break once more, this time making no mistake as he put away his old nemesis, potentially bringing an end to one of the sport’s greatest rivalries.
“When this tournament is over, I will take the necessary decisions based on my feelings and desire,” Nadal said regarding his future in tennis.
Djokovic, a bronze medallist on his Olympic debut in 2008, goes on to face Dominik Koepfer of Germany for a spot in the quarter-finals.
Nadal will turn his focus to the doubles where he is in a dream-team pairing with compatriot Carlos Alcaraz.
Alcaraz, the reigning men’s French Open and Wimbledon champion, takes on Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor later Monday in the singles.
Unstoppable Swiatek
Iga Swiatek, the world number one for women, advanced to the third round in her quest for gold.
The four-time French Open champion reinforced her reputation as the big favourite in Paris, defeating hope Diane Parry 6-1, 6-1, and will face China’s Wang Xiyu in the quarterfinals.
The Pole has won her last 23 matches at Roland Garros, and she already has three clay trophies this season.
Swiatek, who struggled in her first encounter under the canopy on Court Philippe Chatrier, had a much easier day on Monday in broad sunshine.
“I think it was a pretty solid performance, better than the first round, so I’m happy that I could play a little bit more of my game and, of course, the conditions were also nice,” according to her.
US’s second seed Coco Gauff defeated Argentina’s Maria Lourdes Carle, 6-1, 6-1.
Next up for her is Wimbledon semi-finalist Donna Vekic, who defeated former US Open winner Bianca Andreescu.
Italy’s Jasmine Paolini, this year’s French Open runner-up to Swiatek, advanced to the third round with a 6-4, 6-1 win over Magda Linette.
Wimbledon winner Barbora Krejcikova breezed over China’s Wang Xinyu, while Maria Sakkari of Greece also advanced.
The other second-round winners included Zheng Qinwen, Stefanos Tsitsipas, and Casper Ruud.
The scorching heat posed a significant challenge for players at the Tokyo Olympics, and the issue may recur this week, with highs of 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit) forecast on Tuesday.