Djokovic dominates one-sided away game against Nadal
Rafael Nadal Finds His Match: In the Olympic singles, the Spaniard loses the epic duel against Novak Djokovic in the second round of his home court, Roland Garros. The Serb is clearly the better player for most of the match, but Nadal provides a few iconic moments. However, it's not enough in the end.
Novak Djokovic has won a one-sided epic duel against Rafael Nadal at the Olympics. The 37-year-old Grand Slam record champion from Serbia defeated his eternal Spanish rival 6:1, 6:4 in "his living room" and advanced to the round of 16 in Paris. For the 14-time French Open champion Nadal, who fought bravely in the second set, this could be his last singles match on Court Philippe Chatrier.
Djokovic seemed like the clear winner for most of the match, leading 4:0 in the second set. But Nadal provided some spectacular rallies and emotional moments for the crowd, who were clearly on his side. In the end, Djokovic extended his narrow lead to 31:29 in their 60th meeting and ended Nadal's medal hopes. The long-time clay court king will now focus on the doubles with Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz.
Djokovic, who recently lost the Wimbledon final to Alcaraz, remains in the hunt and is increasingly targeting his big goal of Olympic gold. A triumph at the world event has so far eluded him, unlike his great rivals Roger Federer and Nadal. He has a bronze medal from 2008, when Nadal won the big prize in Beijing. Eight years later, the Spaniard also won gold in the doubles in Rio.
Despite his valiant efforts, Rafael Nadal couldn't secure a victory in his tennis match against Novak Djokovic at the Olympics. The Serbian player ultimately emerged victorious, continuing his tennis dominance on Court Philippe Chatrier.
Following their intense singles match, Nadal and Djokovic will now shift their focus to the doubles tournament, where they will be teaming up with Carlos Alcaraz and Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic, respectively.
