Rafael Nadal has declared that he will exert every effort to put Novak Djokovic under pressure during their current 2024 Paris Olympics second-round match. At the Olympic Games, the two greatest players in history of men’s tennis are expected to reignite their fiercest rivalry. From the looks of it, the Serb appears to have a good chance of winning.
With no titles on his name, World No. 2 Novak Djokovic’s campaign has been disappointing thus far. The 24-time Major champion has, nevertheless, advanced to the Australian Open semifinals and, more recently, the Wimbledon Championships final. The Serbian advanced to the second round of the Olympic men’s singles competition by easily defeating doubles specialist Matthew Ebden (6-0, 6-1).
Nadal, meanwhile, had a great start to his 2024 Paris Olympics campaign, showcasing his doubles skills with Carlos Alcaraz. But because of a thigh injury he suffered during pre-Games practice, there was a lot of doubt about the Spaniard’s ability to compete in the singles. Despite making a comeback to competition at the beginning of this season after nearly a year off, Rafael Nadal has largely found it difficult to regain his best level of health and form.
But in the end, the 22-time Grand Slam victor and two-time Olympic gold medallist did step onto the Court Phillipe-Chatrier for the singles match, and he had to battle hard to overcome Marton Fucsovics of Hungary (6-1, 4-6, 6-4).
Nadal’s victory prepared him for a thrilling matchup with fierce rival Novak Djokovic in the second round. In their 59 prior meetings, the Serb and the Spaniard had a 30-29 head-to-head advantage.
Nadal told RNE after his close victory over Fucsovics that he was unsure of his “level” of play versus Djokovic. The Spaniard did, however, pledge to give the Serb as many “trouble” as he could.
“Usually, when I’ve faced him in a competition like this, we compete in the championship rounds for a significant prize. Every match at these Olympic Games is crucial, no question about it, but I’m not sure I can play at the level I can. I’m going to do everything in my power to truly cause him troubles,” Nadal stated to RNE (in Spanish).
The former world number one continued by saying that he has an optimistic outlook going into the showdown with Djokovic.
It’s a little unclear what will transpire, but whatever, I’m always in the correct frame of mind, so I’ll be working if inspiration strikes. We’ll be there, and we’ll do all in our power to make it an unforgettable evening,” Nadal continued.
“It might be a huge hit,” Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic recently said of their possible match at the Olympics in Paris.
After defeating Ebden handily in the first round, Djokovic was questioned about whether he will play Nadal in the second round. Nadal had not yet played Fucsovics at that point.
The Serbian mentioned the “hype” around the potential event and agreed that a meeting with Nadal might become a “blockbuster” event.
“Yes, there is a lot of excitement about it (perhaps facing Rafael Nadal in the second round). I mean, I performed my share of the work, and tomorrow he must, of course, win his first round (match). That one, of course, needs to be prepared for; it may be a smash hit. In his on-court, post-match interview, Djokovic stated, “It’s one of the matches or one of the events I guess a lot of people at the Olympics in Paris this year are looking forward to.”
The match between Nadal and Djokovic is set for Monday, July 29. The victor of the match advances to the third round of the men’s singles competition at the Olympics in Paris, where they will play either Dominik Koepfer or Matteo Arnaldi.
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