Novak Djokovic defeated Rafael Nadal at the Olympic Games with a decisive 6-1, 6-4 victory in their 60th, and possibly final, meeting. This victory marked the 31st win in the longstanding rivalry for Djokovic, a 24-time Grand Slam champion, which began on the clay courts of Roland-Garros (French Open) in 2006.
Despite expectations for a competitive matchup, Nadal faced a challenging game but briefly rallied, winning four consecutive games in the second set. “I am very relieved,” Djokovic stated after the match. “Everything went my way. I led 6-1, 4-0, but I played a poor service game and gave him chances.”
Djokovic reflected on their long-standing rivalry, saying, “I never imagined back in 2006 that we would still be playing against each other almost 20 years later.” Both players were seen wearing preventive bandaging; Djokovic had a support wrap around his right knee, while Nadal’s right thigh was heavily taped. Nevertheless, Djokovic played freely, applying pressure on Nadal and making him move across Court Philippe Chatrier, where Nadal has won 14 out of his 22 Grand Slam titles.
The 37-year-old Serbian quickly took an early lead of 4-0, breaking Nadal twice, before holding serve to extend the score to 5-0. Nadal finally managed to stop the momentum, much to the relief of the packed, sweating crowd. Djokovic won the one-sided first set as Nadal sent a forehand lob far beyond the baseline.
The statistics were grim for the 38-year-old Spaniard, who managed to earn only four points from Djokovic’s serve in the first set. There was no respite for Nadal, competing in only his seventh tournament of a season plagued by injuries, as Djokovic once again established a double break lead to go up 4-0 in the second set.
In a surprising turn, a double fault from Djokovic gave Nadal a lifeline, allowing him to break serve for the first time. Nadal fought back from 0-4 to 4-4, as Djokovic momentarily lost his rhythm. However, Djokovic quickly responded with a drop serve that kept Nadal on the defensive, breaking to lead 5-4 on a fourth breakpoint before closing the match with an ace.
Despite the loss, Nadal is preparing to compete for a gold medal in men’s doubles, where he will partner with Carlos Alcaraz.