The stage is set for Monday as Rafael Nadal takes on Novak Djokovic in the second round of Paris Olympics 2024 men's singles. The Spaniard defeated Marton Fucsovics 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 in a thriller on Sunday. (Paris Olympics Day 3 Live updates)
Nadal, who already has an Olympic singles gold from 2008, is probably in his swansong year. He will be looking to add to his Olympic medal tally, having also won a doubles gold in Rio 2016. Meanwhile, Djokovic got bronze in singles in 2008.
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Djokovic began his Paris Olympics campaign with an easy 6-0, 6-1 win vs Australia's Matthew Ebden. Unable to hide his excitement on meeting his arch-rival in the second round, Djokovic took to Instagram to share a Tennis TV pre-match post. Here is the post:
Speaking ahead of the match, Djokovic said, "I am excited for this duel in the second round, and I will give it my all. I am aware of the importance of the Olympic Games. I represent my country, which is more responsibility and even more pressure."
{{/usCountry}}Speaking ahead of the match, Djokovic said, "I am excited for this duel in the second round, and I will give it my all. I am aware of the importance of the Olympic Games. I represent my country, which is more responsibility and even more pressure."
{{/usCountry}}Meanwhile, Nadal said, "Roland Garros is the most special place in the world of tennis for me. This year I was not able to spend a lot of time at Roland Garros so I am excited to be back here. It's another opportunity and a chance to enjoy every single moment."
The pair have faced each other 60 times with Djokovic leading 30-29 in head-to-head. They 46 Grand Slam titles between them, including 17 French Opens. Meanwhile, Roland Garros is special for Nadal as he has won the French Open a record 14 times.
Nadal is partnering countryman Carlos Alcaraz in the men's doubles of Paris Olympics. They began their campaign with a 7-6(4),6-4 win vs Argentina's Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni.
Speaking after the match, Nadal revealed that he might focus more on men's doubles in Paris. "We are going to make the decisions that we think are most appropriate as a team to try to have the best chances of bringing medals home for the Spanish team, to try to give ourselves the chances of that happening," he said.
"Sometimes more is more, sometimes more is less, but with that I’m not saying that I’m not going to play at all," he added.