All eyes of the tennis world will be firmly on the epic battle of the former World No.1s as Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal will lock horns in the second round of the men’s singles at the Paris Olympics 2024. Since the draw was made, this was the match that everyone was waiting for given the storied rivalry between Djokovic and Nadal. This will be the 60th meeting between the two, and could be another classic.
This upcoming match will be the first encounter between Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal since their 2022 Roland Garros quarter-final clash on the same court, where Nadal secured a victory in four sets. Currently, Djokovic holds a narrow lead in their storied rivalry, with a 30-29 head-to-head record.
Paris Olympics 2024, Day 3: India schedule
Previously, the two tennis icons faced each other in the semi-finals of the Beijing Olympics, where Nadal won in three sets and went on to claim the gold medal. Djokovic finished the tournament with the bronze medal. When it comes to clay courts, where they will be playing on Monday, Nadal has the upper hand over Djokovic with a margin of 20-8.
What Nadal and Djokovic said about their upcoming clash?
Nadal had said that Djokovic would be the clear favourite heading into the clash on Monday, despite holding the edge over the Serbian at Roland Garros.
“Situations are completely different for him, for me. He’s being very competitive. I was not being very competitive for the last two years, so in that case, I think probably he is the clear favourite,” said Nadal.
Djokovic claimed that Nadal has always been his biggest rival in his career.
“Nadal is always my biggest rival,” Djokovic said. “As long as Nadal is playing, as long as I’m playing, Nadal is always my biggest rival regardless of the rankings or what’s going on on the tour just because of the history of our rivalry.”
When will the Nadal vs Djokovic match take place?
The clash between Nadal and Djokovic will take place second on the Court Philippe-Chatrier not before 1:30 PM local time. This will be 5 pm IST and the match will follow the tie between Iga Swiatek and Diane Perry.
Where can we watch the Nadal vs Djokovic match?
The clash between Nadal and Djokovic can be watched live on Sports 18 1, Sports 18 2 channels and will be live-streamed on JioCinema app and website.
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