No Chance in His Living Room: Nadal Djokovic Gives King of Clay Nadal Only a Brief Hope
Olympic champion of 2008: crowd favorite Rafael Nadal ultimately had no chance against Novak Djokovic.
It was clear that Rafael Nadal ultimately lost to Novak Djokovic at his favorite Olympic venue. The Spaniard briefly electrified the crowd, but was eliminated after two sets. This was the much-anticipated clash between giants in the second round of the Olympic tennis tournament in Paris. In total, no less than 46 Grand Slam titles faced off against each other on Philippe Chatrier Court when Rafael Nadal (22 titles) and Novak Djokovic (24 titles) met in a duel.
It’s the court where the 38-year-old Nadal feels most comfortable, having won 14 of his 22 Grand Slam titles at Roland Garros. However, the Spanish player, who has been unable to compete with the world’s best for several years due to injury, wasn’t really expected to do much leading up to the match.
Nevertheless, on this day of Olympic tennis, all eyes were, of course, on this duel, which, purely from a sporting point of view, could only deliver to a limited extent. The balance of power was very clear, and Djokovic, making few mistakes, gave Nadal no room to breathe on his home turf. The fighter Nadal doesn’t give up – with a lot of support from the fans.
The first set was over quickly, with the Serbian winning 6-1 and showing no mercy. Despite competing in the Olympics five times, Djokovic’s resume still lacks a gold medal, which Nadal managed to secure in singles in 2008 and doubles in 2016.
Djokovic remained similarly focused in the giant duel in front of a sold-out crowd and made quick work at the start of the second set. Nadal, who handled the clear difference in class with composure, was trailing 0-4 but felt the support from the stands once again when Djokovic double-faulted to break his serve.
This suddenly gave the Spaniard a tailwind, as Djokovic made errors and Nadal leveled the score at 4-4. The Philippe Chatrier crowd was now boiling, chanting “Rafa, Rafa” between points. But Djokovic got back on track, broke Nadal’s serve, and confidently closed the match 6-1, 6-4.
Nadal’s Hope Lies in Doubles
This might have been Nadal’s last singles appearance in his “living room,” with the end of his career drawing nearer. After all: 21-year-old Carlos Alcaraz, the new King of Clay, will play against the Dutch pair Griekspoor/Koolhof on Tuesday at noon.
