“I will make the appropriate decisions based on my feelings and desires after this tournament is over,” Rafael Nadal declared following his 6-1, 6-4 defeat in his 60th career match with Novak Djokovic.
Playing in just his seventh tournament of the year following an injury-plagued campaign, Rafael Nadal acknowledged that, at 38, he no longer “had the legs of 20 years ago.”
The Spanish player, who won gold in the Olympics eight years later in Rio for doubles and singles in 2008, won the final Grand Slam trophy of his 22 when he won the 14th French Open in Paris in 2022.
His once-proud number one ranking has plummeted to 161 in the globe. He lost in the first round of the French Open in May, and he missed Wimbledon to concentrate on the Olympics. Nadal went on, calling Monday’s defeat “tough,” saying, “For many people it makes little sense; I have been suffering for two years.”
“I will decide to stop if I feel that I am not being competitive. I simply try my hardest every day to continue enjoying something that I have been loving for a very long time.
Throughout the past two years, I have sustained numerous injuries. I will so stop and let you know if I feel that I am not physically prepared to continue or that I am not competitive enough to do so.
In the men’s doubles, where he is partnered with Carlos Alcaraz, Nadal remains hopeful of winning a gold medal despite his loss.
In a rivalry that started on the same clay courts of Roland Garros in 2006, Monday’s victory marked Djokovic’s thirty-first Grand Slam victory as a 24-time champion.
The highly anticipated match saw Nadal largely outmatched; he didn’t really come to life until he won four games in a row in the second set.
Djokovic expressed his relief following his victory in the second round.
“In 2006, we never would have imagined that we would be competing against each other in an Olympic competition on the same court.”
Even throughout the match, Nadal had to admit that Djokovic was the superior player.
“It’s practically impossible to play against Novak now without damaging him and without having the legs of 20 years ago.”
Age-related signs:
Protective strapping was placed over Djokovic’s right knee and firmly strapped Nadal’s right thigh, indicating the amount of wear and strain the two have sustained in recent months.
To the relief of a crowded and oppressively hot audience, Djokovic broke through for a 4-0 lead and maintained it for 5-0 until Nadal ended the run.
With Nadal’s forehand ballooning wide of the mark, DjokRovic pocketed the one-sided opener.
For Nadal, who was only able to muster four games off Djokovic’s serve in the opening set, the numbers were depressing.
In the second set, Djokovic again produced a double break to lead 4-0, therefore there was no break.
Seeking his first Olympic gold medal, Djokovic unexpectedly gave Nadal a lifeline when he served up a double fault to be broken for the first time.
As the top seed abruptly lost steam, Nadal recovered to win the second break and rally from 0–4 to 4–4.
With an ace to seal the triumph, Djokovic replied magnificently, catching Nadal off guard with a drop shot that made the Serb break for a 5-4 lead on his fourth break point.
