Match point and moving embrace that ended Djokovic vs Nadal’s rivalry

Novak Djokovic beat Rafael Nadal, defeating his long-time rival in straight sets and qualifying for the 3rd round of the Paris Olympics. The 60th page of the historic rivalry between two great legends, in the magnificent spectacle offered by the magical atmosphere of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, had captured the attention of all sportsmen in the world, who had focused on the highly anticipated challenge. More than two years after their last direct clash, the Serb and the Spaniard found themselves against each other on the same court – the Court Philippe-Chatrier – but this time the result was different.

Djokovic closed with the score of 6-1, 6-4 to take the lead 31-29 in the head-to-head against his historic rival. The Serb controlled the match without any worries until 6-1, 4-0, when he started to make too many mistakes. Nadal tried and leveled the score at 4-4 against all odds. Djokovic managed to raise the level again in time before finally putting the Spaniard back in the running.

At the end of the match, the two shared a long and emotional embrace, which moved the tennis fans present in the stands of Philippe Chatrier, aware that they might have witnessed the last match of their legendary rivalry.

Rafa Nadal says Novak Djokovic was much better than him & he has to accept it, ‘I don’t have the continuous shot quality… without the shot quality or legs of 15 years ago, you’re not going to create problems for the best in history’

“One player was much better than the other… pic.twitter.com/UFeQftiKqZ

— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) July 29, 2024

Adiós con entrega, honor y orgullo 🙏

Rafael Nadal se despide del cuadro individual de #Paris2024 tras caer contra Djokovic

Nos quedará el dobles con Carlos Alcaraz #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/N1hHyk6tAj

— Eurosport.es (@Eurosport_ES) July 29, 2024

“I feel very relieved because it seemed like everything was going well. I was up 6-1, 4-0 and maybe I felt too comfortable at that moment. You can’t give Nadal any opportunity because he will be able to take advantage of it, he will come back into the game, especially on this court, with the crowd involved. That game at 4-4 was crucial and tough, the last one with used balls. I wanted to get the break and then go serve with new balls. I served well in the last two points. In the second set it was a very hard match. In general, I’m happy with the level I expressed. Special match? In 2006 we couldn’t imagine that almost 20 years later we would be playing on the same court at the Olympics. I think we will both be able to appreciate this match in the history of our rivalry. Many sportsmen have paid attention to this match. It’s a shame that Rafa is not at his best at the moment,” said Djokovic after the match.

“What could happen, happened. I said it yesterday. I didn’t know if I was ready to face a match like that; I wasn’t. I’ve been taking beatings for a while now. You have to accept it and not hide. Novak deserves praise for the high level he expressed. He didn’t give me a break and I didn’t make things difficult for him. He commanded the rallies and I couldn’t push him back. I’m not able to defend like I did years ago. It’s easy to analyze. I didn’t play at the level that was needed to create problems for him. I have to recognize my opponent’s superiority and also that I didn’t play as I should have. In the second set there was a reaction. I raised the level a bit and he started to make some mistakes. He played at a much higher level than me. He was a bit nervous at the end. I gave a little bit more, but I felt tired. I had the possibility to change the match, but I wasn’t able to do it,” explained Nadal.

Rafa will now focus on doubles, where he will try to win a medal alongside Carlos Alcaraz.

“Every time I play here, I play at home. I can only appreciate the love they show me. It’s a satisfaction to feel this affection in the most special place of my career. I can only thank them. Now I will fight to the death in doubles and we will see how things go. I have to recover as best as possible to give me and Carlos a chance to win a medal,” he added.