Paris Olympics Daily Preview: Djokovic Plays Nadal for the 60th Time - UBITENNIS

Paris Olympics Daily Preview: Djokovic Plays Nadal for the 60th Time

By Matthew Marolf
5 Min Read

Second round action begins on Monday in Paris in all of the draws except mixed doubles, which begins first round play.

The most prolific rivalry of the modern era sees its 60th installment on Monday, as Novak Djokovic faces Rafael Nadal at Roland Garros.  Djokovic leads their head-to-head 30-29, though on clay, Nadal leads 20-8.  And at this venue specifically, this will be their 11th meeting, where Rafa leads 8-2.  But with Nadal’s body failing him, and with Djokovic coming off knee surgery last month, who is the favorite in this blockbuster second round matchup at the Olympic Games?

Other action on Day 3’s compelling schedule includes Major champions Iga Swiatek, Carlos Alcaraz, and Coco Gauff.


Novak Djokovic [SRB] (1) vs. Rafael Nadal [ESP] – Second on Court Philippe-Chatrier

Nadal is coming off a two-and-a-half hour battle on Sunday afternoon against Marton Fucsovics, following a doubles victory on Saturday evening alongside Carlos Alcaraz.  By contrast, Djokovic had a day of rest on Sunday, after a comfortable 6-0, 6-1 first round victory on Saturday over doubles specialist Matthew Ebden.  And while both are far from 100% physical health, Djokovic would seem to be the fresher and more in-form player, especially after a run to the championship match at Wimbledon two weeks ago, despite having a procedure on his knee just a few weeks prior to that fortnight.  Prior to this event, Nadal had played just six tournaments in the past 18 months.

And dating back to the fall of 2013, Novak has now won 15 of their last 22 matches, though Nadal has claimed six of their last 10.  This will be their first encounter in over two years, since the 2022 Roland Garros quarterfinals, where Rafa prevailed in a fourth set tiebreak.

Of course, Court Philippe Chatrier is Rafa’s house, where he’s only lost four times in his 20-year career.  But based on recent history, both shared and individual, Novak is the favorite to earn his 31st victory over Rafa on Monday afternoon, in what may be the last matchup in this epic rivalry.


Other Notable Matches on Monday:

Iga Swiatek [POL] (1) vs. Diane Parry [FRA] – On Saturday, Swiatek extended her clay court winning streak to 20 matches.  This is her first match against Parry, who is a 21-year-old from France.

Caroline Wozniacki [DEN] vs. Danielle Collins [USA] (8) – Wozniacki came from a set down on Sunday, while Collins received a second-set walkover.  Caroline is 2-1 against Danielle, though they haven’t played in nearly five years, and Collins has been the much better performer in 2024.

Tallon Griekspoor [NED] vs. Carlos Alcaraz [ESP] (2) – Alcaraz is now 34-6 on the year, after winning the last two Majors.  And he is 3-1 against Griekspoor at all levels, and won their last three encounters in straight sets.

Jessica Pegula [USA] (5) vs. Elina Svitolina [UKR] – Pegula is 4-1 against Svitolina, with all five matches occurring within the last four seasons, and with Jess taking their last four meetings.  But Svitolina is the defending bronze medalist in women’s singles, and representing her country of Ukraine means more to Elina than anything in her career.

Maria Lourdes Carle [ARG] vs. Coco Gauff [USA] (2) – Gauff easily advanced on Sunday over Ajla Tomljanovic by a score of 6-3, 6-0, bringing her singles record on the season to 36-11.  Carle is a 24-year-old who beat Tatjana Maria on Sunday by a score of 6-0, 6-0, though she’s yet to play a main draw match at a Major.


Monday’s full Order of Play is here.

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