Novak Djokovic expressed his satisfaction with his performance, noting that he had “played his part” following his commanding round-one win against Matthew Ebden, where he conceded only one game. Rafael Nadal also triumphed, beating Marton Fucsovics 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 in a gripping three-set match, setting up an eagerly awaited clash with Djokovic in the second round of men’s singles at Roland Garros.
This match will mark the 60th encounter between the two tennis greats, with Djokovic leading their head-to-head record 30-29. Their previous match took place two years ago, where Nadal avenged his 2021 French Open loss in the 2022 quarterfinals in Paris. This upcoming meeting will be their second at the Olympics; Nadal won their first encounter in the semifinals of the 2008 Beijing Olympics and eventually claimed the gold medal, while Djokovic secured the bronze.
Although Roland Garros is regarded as Nadal’s stronghold, where he has won 14 of his 22 Grand Slam titles, he approaches this match with an 11-6 record in 2024. Nadal has dealt with a new injury earlier in the year and faced a scare at the start of the Games. His best performance this year was reaching the final at the ATP Bastad, following an early exit at the French Open in May after losing in straight sets to Alexander Zverev.
Djokovic, despite not winning a trophy in 2024, holds a 23-7 record, including a run to the Wimbledon final earlier this month, where he lost to defending champion Carlos Alcaraz.
There has been ongoing speculation about whether Nadal’s next appearance will be his last on tour. However, when asked about the potential of a “last dance” with Djokovic, Nadal dismissed these rumors, questioning who had declared it to be his final match.