Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal to Face Off in Paris Olympics Showdown
Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic will finally play a highly anticipated second-round clash against 22-time Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal at the Paris Olympics on Monday. The match will start at around 5:00 PM IST.
This will be the record-extending 60th ATP head-to-head clash between these two legends, taking place at Court Philippe-Chatrier. It will be their first meeting since the French Open quarterfinals in 2022, where Nadal emerged victorious. Overall, Djokovic, a 24-time Grand Slam champion, has a slight edge over Nadal, leading the rivalry by 30-29.
Djokovic advanced to round two by defeating Australia’s doubles star Matthew Ebden 6-0, 6-1, while Nadal beat Hungary’s Marton Fucsovics 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 in the opening round to set up this epic clash.
The pair had previously faced off during the semifinals of the Beijing Olympics in 2008, where Nadal triumphed and claimed the gold, while Djokovic settled for a bronze medal. Nadal also has an Olympic gold in men’s doubles, won with Marc Lopez at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
The clay court of Roland Garros is a happy hunting ground for Nadal, who has won a record 14 French Open singles titles at this venue. Before this tournament, Djokovic lost to young Spanish sensation Carlos Alcaraz in the Wimbledon finals in July. Nadal, on the other hand, lost to Portugal’s Nuno Borges in the final of the Nordea Open on Sunday.
Nadal is also participating in the men’s doubles competition along with Alcaraz. The duo won their campaign opener against Argentina’s Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni 7-6 (7:4), 6-4 in the tennis men’s doubles match at the ongoing Paris Olympics.
Doubts Revealed
Novak Djokovic -: Novak Djokovic is a famous tennis player from Serbia. He has won many important tennis tournaments called Grand Slams.
Rafael Nadal -: Rafael Nadal is a well-known tennis player from Spain. He has won 22 Grand Slam titles, which are very big tennis competitions.
Paris Olympics -: The Paris Olympics is a big sports event happening in Paris, France, where athletes from all over the world compete in different sports.
Grand Slam -: A Grand Slam is one of the four biggest tennis tournaments in the world. They are the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open.
ATP -: ATP stands for Association of Tennis Professionals. It is the group that organizes tennis tournaments for male players.
Court Philippe-Chatrier -: Court Philippe-Chatrier is the main tennis court at the French Open, a big tennis tournament held in Paris.
Roland Garros -: Roland Garros is another name for the French Open, one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments. It is held in Paris, France.
Carlos Alcaraz -: Carlos Alcaraz is a young and talented tennis player from Spain. He recently won against Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon finals.
