Paris 2024: Tennis – Djokovic vs. Nadal, le denouement?

*Not a typo: Novak Djokovic squared off against 2008 Beijing singles gold medalist Rafael Nadal in the second round at Roland Garros. (photo by Meniscus Magazine)*

Novak Djokovic may not have won a Grand Slam title in 2024, but this rare miss seemed of little concern. Instead, he was chasing the elusive prize that contemporaries Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray already possessed: an Olympic gold medal.

To reach that gold medal match – where Djokovic ended up besting 2024 French Open champion Carlos Alcaraz, at the very same venue – he had to get past an intriguing encounter that only happened due to some luck. Murray, who had announced that the Paris Olympics would be the final tournament of his career, wasn’t quite healthy enough to compete in singles and doubles, so he withdrew from the former event before it began. That shuffled the draw, and inexplicably meant that if Djokovic and Nadal defeated their respective opening match opponents, they would face off in the second round. At Stade Roland Garros, where Nadal’s record of 14 French Open singles titles might never be broken. For a jaw-dropping 60^th time.

Novak Djokovic tore his medial meniscus in his right knee, forcing him to withdraw from the French Open in June. He returned from surgery in record time, reaching the Wimbledon semifinals and capturing the Olympic gold medal in Paris. (photo by Meniscus Magazine)

Unsurprisingly, this daytime match on Court Philippe Chatrier was already the talk of the tournament. Fans packed the stadium for the 11^th meeting at Roland Garros between these two rivals, with questions figuratively hovering over the proceedings. How would Rafa hold up, given all his injury woes during the past couple of years? Did he, like Murray and Angelique Kerber, plan to make the Olympics his last tournament? Would Djokovic’s Olympic quest once again end in heartbreak, particularly on the Roland Garros clay that Nadal has dominated for nearly two decades?

*Djokovic led Nadal (pictured), 6-1, 4-0, in their second round encounter before Rafa attempted to stage a comeback. (photo by Meniscus Magazine)*

The matchup fell far short of besting one of their previous battles, instead feeling like the end of an incredible era. The two former world No. 1s, after all, have faced each other far more than any other two opponents in the Open era. While the crowd desperately tried to will Nadal into a more competitive match, Djokovic rolled through, 6-1, 6-4. With the win, Djokovic pulled ahead in their rivalry, 31 matches to 29. The final tally? Time will tell. Meanwhile, as Djokovic went on to win the first gold medal in tennis for Serbia, Nadal teamed up with Alcaraz to compete in doubles for Spain, eventually losing in the quarterfinals to the U.S. team of Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram, who won the silver.

(Ed. Note, Oct. 27, 2024: Nadal announced his retirement on Oct. 11, with his last matches to take place in November as Spain plays at the Davis Cup in Malaga.)

Video: Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic post-match handshake, Paris 2024 Olympics, Roland Garros, July 29, 2024
all photos by Meniscus Magazine