Novak Djokovic continued his quest for an elusive first gold medal at the Paris Olympics on Monday when he overcame long-time rival Rafael Nadal 6-1, 6-4 in the latest chapter of the pair’s historic rivalry.
As they had done in their most recent meeting in 2022, Djokovic and Nadal were competing on Philippe-Chatrier in front of a raucous crowd. Spaniard Nadal earned a four-set quarter-final victory on that occasion at Roland Garros but was not able to inflict the same outcome on Djokovic, who reached the Wimbledon final earlier this month.
“Back in 2006, I don’t think we would have thought we would be playing against each other on the same court at the Olympics,” Djokovic said. “So I think we will appreciate this match very much. I think our rivalry and I think for the sport itself. I think there was a lot of attention and interest directed from sports towards us. It is unfortunate for him that he wasn’t at his best, but I did everything I could to make him feel uncomfortable.”
If this was to be Nadal’s final appearance on Court Philippe-Chatrier, the 14-time Roland Garros champion will be satisfied with the fight he showed in the second set. The 38-year-old, who holds a 112-4 record at the clay-court major, was cheered on by his large team and received a huge amount of support from inside the stadium, with an abundance of Spanish flags waved throughout points.
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The crowd grew into the clash as Nadal improved, with many suspecting that this could be the final meeting in their long-running rivalry, which began on the same court in 2006.
Eighteen years later, Djokovic looked fresh and was firing close to his best, while Nadal’s intensity levels were lower for large parts. Despite this, the Serbian was aware of the danger the Spaniard posed and was pleased to earn victory in straight sets.
“At 6-1, 4-0, I got a little bit too comfortable,” Djokovic said. “At 4-1 I played a little sloppy service game and you can’t give any chances to Nadal because he is going to use them and comeback. Especially on this court. The crowd getting involved but it was a crucial game at 4-4, trying to break his serve and then serve against the wind with new balls.
“It was a very close encounter but I am very pleased with the way I played.”
