Rafael Nadal is set to compete against Novak Djokovic in a significant second-round Olympics showdown at Roland Garros, after a hard-won match against Marton Fucsovics. Having previously faced each other 59 times, Djokovic has a slight edge of one win. However, they haven’t faced off since Nadal’s victory at the French Open quarter-finals two years ago.
The pair are about to meet again at the Olympics, 16 years subsequent to Nadal’s narrow semi-finals victory in Beijing. There was a collective gasp when the draw pinned these seasoned competitors together. Djokovic had little difficulty dispatching stand-in Matt Ebden on Saturday in under an hour.
Nadal was considering abstaining from the match due to a possible right thigh issue and a late finish to his doubles opener with Carlos Alcaraz on Saturday evening. However, the allure of an 11th face-off with Djokovic on the Parisian clay was too alluring. As a result, Nadal, who skipped Wimbledon to gear up for this event, powered through to a 6-1 4-6 6-4 victory against Hungarian challenger Fucsovics.
Referring to the approaching game as “one last dance”, Djokovic praised the 14-time French Open victor on Saturday, stating that a match against him feels like a final. He acknowledged Nadal’s significant contributions and achievements in the sport, especially at Roland Garros, suggesting that their potential face-off could possibly be the final one on a grand stage, much to the delight of their supporters.