PARIS (AP) — Novak Djokovic defeated his classic rival Rafael Nadal 6-1, 6-4 on Monday in the second round of tennis at the Olympic Games, in what could be the last match between two of the greatest tennis players of all time.
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With a temperature of 30 degrees, which turned the Philippe Chatrier stadium into a boiler, Serbian Djokovic deployed a wearing tactic for the physically battered 38-year-old Spaniard, who, with a lot of self-love and the support of the French, who have adopted him as their own, reacted in the second set and prevented a more lopsided score.
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"Simple was a much better player than the other," declared Nadal after the match. "I wasn't able to play at the level I needed to create problems for him. He didn't really give me anything for free either. He was inspired for a long time. I didn't have the continuous quality of shots to trouble him. I also don't have the legs I had 15 years ago."
Djokovic won 10 of the first 11 games, with Nadal far from the version of the tireless and virtuous player who has won a record 14 Grand Slam titles on the same red clay of Roland Garros that is hosting the Summer Games.
It was a diminished Nadal, a player on the verge of retirement after little activity in the last two seasons due to a series of injuries, including hip surgery.
But the fierce Nadal eventually came into play and faced Djokovic by winning four games in a row in the second set, to tie it 4-4. The crowd roared with chants of "Ra-fa! Ra-fa!"
Djokovic wasted no time in reacting and regained control. He broke the Spaniard's serve and put a finger to his left ear, challenging Nadal's fans. Djokovic went on to close the match and ended up embracing Nadal at the net.
"If you give him something, he can hurt you. We know it. I have experienced it in the past," Djokovic said. "I started to hesitate with my shots and he pushed. The crowd got into the match."
Protagonists of one of the great rivalries in tennis of this century - they faced each other 60 times, the most matches played between men in the open era of tennis that began in 1968 - the second-round match at the Olympics could have been the last between them.
"You could feel the tension building up before the match, an incredible expectation, an amazing atmosphere," Djokovic said. "There was a lot of interest in this match. People wanted to see it live. People wanted to watch it on TV. I am proud to have been part of this match."
The feeling of farewell has hovered over each of Nadal's performances on the clay of Roland Garros, his second home where he even has a statue in his honor.
Nadal has not yet confirmed if the Olympic Games will be the last tournament of his illustrious career. There has been much speculation about it, given his recent physical discomfort, including a hip operation last year and his connection to Roland Garros.
"I will make the decisions I have to make after this. I am in competition, I have the double left. It's not time to give up, it's time to accept. It was a tough defeat in terms of the way it happened, but also easier to accept because of the way it happened. I have not been at my best level," said the Mallorcan.
Djokovic, 37 years old, leads the head-to-head 31-29 and holds 24 Grand Slam titles, two more than Nadal.
The top seed will face the winner of the match between German Dominik Koepfer and Italian Matteo Arnaldi in the next round. The Serbian player is aiming for his first Olympic gold medal of his career, having already won a record 24 Grand Slam titles.
On the other hand, Nadal continues to compete in doubles alongside Carlos Alcaraz. They will face the Dutch pair Tallon Griekspoor and Wesley Koolhof.
“I am looking forward to playing doubles tomorrow and doing well,” Nadal said.