Men's tennis at the 2024 Olympics will witness a "battle of giants" as Novak Djokovic faces Rafael Nadal in the second round.
18 years ago, they first met at the French Open. Today, also at Roland Garros, it is the 60th time - and possibly the last, they stand on opposite sides of the court. One is 38 years old (Nadal), the other 37 years old (Djokovic), at this point, their battle may no longer be about strength but about resilience, experience, and willpower.
Physically, Djokovic might be rated higher, but a knee injury at the French Open has had a significant impact. Although he quickly returned and later reached the Wimbledon final (losing to Carlos Alcaraz), overall, Nole's form in 2024 has been unstable.
For Nadal, injuries plagued him throughout 2023. Returning in 2024, some issues have prevented him from playing regularly, but the goal set is very clear - the 2024 Olympics.
Compared to Djokovic, Nadal reaching the final of the ATP 250 tournament in Sweden cannot be compared to Djokovic at Wimbledon, but after 2 years since the French Open final, it is a significant motivation for Rafa.
Rafa has done everything to be in the best possible condition for this front. This is somewhat reflected in his completion of the doubles match with Alcaraz and winning against Marton Fucsovics in the first round of the singles event.
On another note, on clay courts, Nadal holds a significant advantage over Djokovic - winning 20 out of 28 matches. More notably, in their only Olympic encounter, Nadal defeated Djokovic in the semifinals before winning the gold medal at Beijing 2008.
Although playing on the Philippe-Chatrier court, this is not a Grand Slam, so a 5-set match cannot be expected. But perhaps, at the age of these two legends, all the best efforts concentrated into 3 sets are more than enough.
Watch the Djokovic vs Nadal match live at 18:30 on July 29 on Eurosport, Max, Discovery+ channels.
