Novak Djokovic holds off Rafael Nadal’s fightback to progress

Novak Djokovic faced a strong challenge from Rafael Nadal but managed to defeat him in the Olympic men's singles, advancing to the third round. This marked their 60th encounter, nearly two decades after their initial meeting. Despite Djokovic being ahead by a set and 4-0, the match appeared to be one of their most lopsided competitions.

Nadal fought back to tie the match, but Djokovic dashed any chance of a memorable showdown by winning 6-1, 6-4. This marks Nadal's fifth loss out of 118 matches at Roland Garros, with three of those losses coming at the hands of Djokovic.

These two men have faced each other more times than anyone else, in a rivalry that is close and intense. Nadal tried to lower expectations before the match, saying that he is not in the same position as he has been in their previous battles, many of which took place at Roland Garros.

He has participated in only a few competitions in the last couple of years due to injury, currently holding the 161st ranking. He mentioned last year that it would probably be his last season, but has slightly reconsidered that decision since then.

Djokovic has also had a tough year, not winning any tournaments and needing knee surgery after a fall at the French Open. He had a brace on his right knee but came to Paris after making it to the Wimbledon final, hoping to win the one big title he hasn't yet captured.

Nadal's supporters arrived full of hope that returning to the location of his previous victories would reignite the 38-year-old's former brilliance. However, the opposite occurred for the first set and a half. Djokovic outperformed Nadal in terms of precision, speed, and agility. Despite his renowned forehand, which had caused havoc for two decades, Nadal struggled to assert himself in the match, often finding himself on the defensive.

He just barely managed to escape losing the first set to Djokovic, winning the sixth game. However, the second set played out in a similar fashion until Nadal once again turned things around to take a 4-1 lead.

At first, he felt relieved to be back in the game, but that feeling quickly turned into excitement when Nadal finally managed to break Djokovic's serve. The crowd went wild when the Spaniard smashed a shot at his opponent's feet before passing him to tie the score at 4-4.

Nadal quickly faced a challenge on his own serve once more, as Djokovic broke with a flawless drop shot. The 37-year-old sealed the win with an ace.