Nadal to Face Djokovic in Paris Olympics Blockbuster

Rafael Nadal received a standing ovation from fans who saw his image on a video screen as he prepared to step onto the court at the Paris Olympics and the French Open venue. The audience, which included many waving Spanish flags, applauded and chanted "Ra-fa! Ra-fa!" as Nadal emerged to face Marton Fucsovics of Hungary. Nadal won the match 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, setting up a highly anticipated second-round clash against Novak Djokovic.

The upcoming match will be their 60th meeting, the most between any two men in the Open era. Djokovic leads their head-to-head record 30-29 and holds 24 Grand Slam titles, surpassing Nadal's 22. Djokovic recently recovered from knee surgery performed in June, which followed a meniscus tear during the French Open. He reached the Wimbledon final before losing to Carlos Alcaraz. Nadal has been dealing with injuries over the past two seasons, including hip surgery in 2023, and was seen with his right thigh taped during the match against Fucsovics.

Nadal, who made a last-minute decision to stay in the singles draw after winning in doubles with partner Alcaraz, acknowledged the challenge ahead. “It's been always super special to play against Novak, no? No doubt about that. But the difference is normally we have been playing for finals or for semifinals. This,” Nadal said, “is a second round.”

Stan Wawrinka commented on the significance of the matchup, noting, “It's always amazing when they play each other. Two legends of the sport. It's going to be special, that's for sure.”

Nadal's performance against Fucsovics showed moments of his well-known playing style, though he has struggled with injuries. He is yet to win a Grand Slam match in 2024 and has not competed at the Australian Open or Wimbledon this year. The upcoming match against Djokovic will be a significant test as he continues his campaign at the Olympics.