Djokovic outclasses Nadal – Olympic men's singles recap

Novak Djokovic’s quest for a maiden Olympic Gold medal remains on course as he holds off a late, late rally from his old foe, Nadal to serve out victory to 30 and reach R3.

It is the third time the Serb has defeated Rafa on the clay of Roland-Garros and sees him move 31-29 up in their storied H2H rivalry.

For long spells, the top seed was a class above, but when he dipped at 6-1 4-0, Nadal offered a brief glimpse of his former self to reel off four games in a row.

Nole looked alarmed put together a strong return game to drag the momentum back his way just in time.

Djokovic will now play Germany’s Dominik Koepfer or Italy’s Matteo Arnaldi in round three.

Rafa knew he had to hang tough in this service game, but he unravels at the most important moment in the match – and Djokovic is back in charge.

The top seed applies some early heat with a sizzling backhand down the line and fancies his chances further when Nadal skews a backhand into the net.

A wide ace gives Rafa a foothold in the game, but he cannons a forehand into the tramlines to offer up two break points.

Nole drills just long on the first before Rafa pulls off a sensational S+V, reacting sharply to block away Novak’s pick-up and make deuce.

The Mallorcan’s shanked forehand coughs up a second chance for the Serb, but a deep, looping backhand to the corner forces the error to stave it off.

Djokovic just won’t go away and he finally converts when he follows up a clinical crosscourt winner with a sumptuous drop shot.

Novak will now serve for the match.

There’s a real suggestion that the Rafa revival could ignite when he unleashes another beauty of a forehand down the line.

Djokovic flaps at a pass straight at him and volleys tamely into the net after picking up a dropper and then drills a tricky backhand long to cough up two more break points.

The Serb leans on his serve to swat away the first, but he’s undone on the second as Rafa somehow retrieves a smash with a squash shot and then hammers away the crosscourt pass off the top seed’s defemnsive volley.

Incredible – but Nadal must hold in this next game if his comeback is to maintain momentum…

There’s no doubt Djokovic has allowed himself to ease off and Nadal takes advantage with a crisp crosscourt forehand and a fizzing backhand down the line.

Djokovic retorts with a ferocious winner of his own, but the Spaniard slams down a big smash and then lures a return long to edge back into contention with a hold to 15.

It’s the first dip in level from Nole as a drop shot fail and a looped forehand wide offer up Nadal’s first break point of the match.

The Serb blinks further and double faults to gift-wrap one of the breaks back.

That was so far out of context with this match so far.

Nadal loops a forehand winner down the line and can almost sense a hold at 30-0.

Djokovic helps him further at 30-15 with a volley error that allows the Spaniard to make the crosscourt pass.

Novak flashes off the island on the ensuing point and Rafa wets on the board, but he looks far from happy as he walks to his chair.

Djokovic will savour this victory.

The 24-time major winner has endured some chastening defeats to Nadal on a clay-court, so this will be a beatdown he remembers fondly, in spite of his opponent’s obvious lack of level.

A supreme serve and volley puts the full stop on another routine hold to 15 and Nadal’s nightmare afternoon is almost over.

Nadal may be some distance off his best form, but you have to give real credit to Djokovic.

The top seed is playing as well as he has all year and the pace, precision and sheer clean-hitting is tearing the Spaniard apart time and time again.

The Serb offers up a rare donation with a forehand into the net to hand Nadal a glimmer from 0-30 to 30-30, but the Mallorcan double faults to cough up the break point anyway.

It’s now or never for Rafa and he finds depth and pace on a forehand down the line to put Novak under rare pressure and force the error to make the sanctuary of deuce.

Again, it’s a brief respite as Nadal is rushed into a mid-court forehand wide.

There’s no escape from this torture for Rafa and his fans as Djokovic’s elasticity and ability to find depth from awkward angles forces another forehand long.

It’s the double break and this match looks well and truly over.

Taking the backhand down the line early was the key to Nole cracking the Nadal code earlier in his career and he produces Exemplar A to take charge of another routine service game.

The Serb then surges to his right to meet a sizzling return and scorch a winner on the run down the line. It even has Nadal applauding and there’s little left in it from there as the Serb slaps down an ace to consolidate to love with aplomb.

Nadal cajoles himself with a barked ‘Vamos’ as he follows up a couple of misses off mid-court forehands with a hefty first serve, but he still has to face up to another break point with a third overcooked forehand of the game.

The Spaniard is clearly trying to be bold and it’s one of those high-risk forehands that drags him to deuce.

Sadly for the 14-time French Open champion, he just can’t find the path to the hold as a couple of backhands under pressure slip tamely into the net and allow Nole to kick off Set 2 with a break.

It feels like a case of ‘how many games’ the King of Clay will win today rather than if he can actually beat Djokovic.

Nadal threatens early with a delicious pick-up to jab Nole’s crosscourt dropper back down the line.

The Spaniard has a half chance to press further with a forehand on the stretch down the line, but it just misses the line and Djokovic doesn’t look back from there.

The top seed is in total control as he comfortably serves out to 15 in 39 minutes.

Nadal cannot hide his agitation as a shocker of a second serve barely makes the net and leaves him playing catch-up once again.

Djokovic is all over that second serve like a rash and rushes another forehand error off the net tape for 15-30.

The bagel looks on but the Serb drills a forehand long and Rafa seizes the reprieve with a beauty of a backhand winner down the line.

Djokovic then goes too heavy on a crosscourt return and there’s a huge cheer – Nadal’s pride won’t enjoy – as the great Spaniard finally gets on the board.

Djokovic demonstrates his ever growing confidence that his old foe is no match for him today as he zaps an absolute humdinger of a crosscourt backhand winner en route to an all-too dominant love hold.

It feels like there’s constant pressure on Nadal with his short ball allowing Djoker to aggressively step in and attack at will.

The Spaniard is penned behind his baseline and 30-15 turns pear-shaped when Nole’s smash is followed by a desperate backhand wide from the 14-time Roland-Garros winner.

This time Nadal fends off the BP as he picks up a dropper with a sublime crosscourt slice.

It’s a brief respite as a delightful bit of cat and mouse around the net sees the top seed angle a stretch volley beyond his opponent’s reach to clock up a second chance.

Nadal’s high backhand down the line is then called out, but is actually good, as he drags himself to deuce again.

Djokovic is relentless though and after a deep backhand winner down the line chalks up a third opportunity, he converts the double break when Rafa shanks a forehand way off court.

There were some promising early moments for Nadal, but now it’s looking a bit ominous.

Djokovic injects confident pace into his deep groundstrokes to force errors long and throws in a pair of delicious drop shots to consolidate to love.

Djokovic goes on the hunt for an instant break and rushes Nadal with a rasping return to feet before another backhand long leaves the Mallorcan playing serious catch-up.

A booming forehand down the line gets Rafa back in it and he levels at 30-30 with another series of stonking strikes off his trademark flank.

Djokovic takes charge of what proves to be a key, ensuing rally and lures a defensive lob long off an overhead to earn the first break point of the match.

Nadal can’t find the escape route as a mid-court forehand takes an unfortunate nick off the net cord and flies wide.

Djokovic appears to be in complete control when a wide ace is sandwiched by a couple of backhand errors from the Spaniard.

However, a bounce smash at the second time of asking has the crowd yelling in delight for Nadal and he responds with a brutal forehand down the line.

Djokovic then slaps a nervy forehand long to almost unravel at deuce, but he gets it right off that wing to regain control and Nadal cannons a forehand wide to let him off the hook.

Djokovic will serve first.

A Djokovic triumph would see him clock up his 15th Olympic singles match-win and equal Steffi Graf’s record for most Olympic singles matches victories since Seoul 1988 (Stat via ITF).

Rafa was first and the roar was certainly louder than the one that greeted Nole just after.

All the information you need to not miss a minute of the Paris 2024 Olympic action – .

discovery+, the Streaming Home of the Olympics, will give fans access to all 10,500 athletes and 329 medal moments, with 3,800 hours of live coverage via an extensive network of 55+ live channel feeds, delivering the most comprehensive Olympics broadcast offer across the UK and Ireland.

That’s the view of many observer, but it’s also the honest opinion of Nadal too.

However, the Spaniard does say special things happen for him on Chatrier and is ready to give it everything.

There’s no doubt this is one of the standout events at the Paris Olympics.

This will be the 60th meeting between Nadal and Djokovic with the latter leading the match-up 30-29.

This is their second clash at an Olympics with Nadal triumphing in the last four in Beijing in 2008 before going on to win gold.

Nadal won their most recent encounter on this very same Chatrier Court by a 6-2 4-6 6-2 7-6 scoreline in the QF of his title run at the 2022 French Open.

The Spaniard has won six of their last seven meetings on clay and is 8-2 up on the Parisian clay.

However, Nadal is no longer the same proposition following a lengthy spell out injured and as top seed Djokovic will be a heavy favourite to progress.

Hello and welcome to our LIVE updates of what could potentially go down as one of the great showdowns of Paris 2024.

It pits two of tennis’ veteran GOATs against each other as 24-time Grand Slam champion and top seed Novak Djokovic faces King of Clay and 22-time major winner Rafael Nadal.

The players are due on Court Philippe-Chatrier shortly for a R2 match no-one wants to miss!