Rafael Nadal has two words for Novak Djokovic after he is handed an Olympics hammering
Rafael Nadal had little option other than to accept he was second best in his 60th and, probably, final meeting with his great rival Novak Djokovic.
Defeat in the second round of the Olympic singles competition was a little more comprehensive than the 6-1, 6-4 scoreline suggested as Djokovic was the dominant player for the majority of the contest.
At 6-1, 4-0, the packed crowd that had gathered on court Philippe-Chatrier were drowned into silence amid the brilliance Djokovic was displaying.
The top seed at the Olympics left the same court with a knee injury that forced him out of the French Open last month, but he was at is brilliant best as he ripped Nadal apart in insatiable fashion.
The mini-revial from Nadal lifted the crowd and what may be the last great point between these two great rivals came at 4-3 in the second set, with Djokovic failing to polish off an overhead and allowing his Spanish rival to break back.
This was a moment for the French crowd to go wild as they cheered Nadal’s comeback, with Djokovic reacting to their support for his opponent a few minutes later as he broke Nadal and closed out the match.
Pointing to his ear and asking where the cheers for his brilliance had been lost, Djokovic did his talking on the court once again as his critics were silenced.
It was a warm embrace between the two most successful male tennis players of the Open Era at the net, with Nadal giving Djokovic his congratulations with two words as he said “too good” to Djokovic as they played what may have been their last competitive match.
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It is only the Spaniard’s fifth defeat in 118 singles matches at Roland Garros, with Djokovic now having been responsible for three of those.
Tennis’ place in the Olympics has often been questioned but there cannot have been a hotter ticket in town, with fans holding up signs hoping to find a way into Court Philippe Chatrier and so many media trying to get into the press box that security were called to intervene.
No two men have met on more occasions than this pair, in what has been one of the closest and most fiercely contested rivalries in all sport.
But Nadal dampened expectations ahead of the clash by emphasising that he is not in the same position as he has been for nearly all the rest of their battles, 10 of which had previously been fought at Roland Garros.
“I’m very relieved,” declared Djokovic after the match. “Everything appeared to be going my way at 6-1, 4-0, but I got maybe a little bit too comfortable there.
“At 4-1, I played a pretty sloppy service game and you can’t give any chances to Nadal because he is going to use them and come back, especially on this court.
“The crowd getting involved was very tough, but it was a crucial game at 4-4 to try and break his serve and try and then try to serve against the wind with the new balls.
“Wow, it was a very, very close encounter and I’m very happy to get through.”
Djokovic was again wearing his Christian cross on court and made sure it was clear for all to see in his post-match interviews after Olympic organisers were forced to issue an apology over allegations that scenes in the opening ceremony of Paris 2024 mocked the cherished Last Supper scene of their religion.
As always Djokovic has not missed a chance to make a pointed statement on court on a topic away from tennis, but this was a day to focus on his brilliance as he beat Nadal at Roland Garros.
“Back in 2006 (first meeting in Paris), I don’t think we could have thought we would play in almost 20 years time on the same court in the Olympic Games,” he added.
“I think we will eventually appreciate this match very much, not just for our rivalry, but for the sport itself.
“There was a lot of attention and a lot of interest towards our match today, so it benefits all of us.
“It’s unfortunate that he was not at his best, but I did everything I could to make him uncomfortable on court.”
The flawless version of Djokovic who raced into a 6-1, 4-0 lead against Nadal may well be unstoppable at this Olympic Games, as he appears to be more focused and driven than ever before to complete his collection of tennis accolades by sealing a gold medal for Serbia.
Djokovic will now believe his coronation as Olympic champion is now in his sights.