Photo: Collected
Top-seeded Novak Djokovic could meet his longtime rival Rafael Nadal in the second round of the Paris Olympic tennis tournament.
Djokovic was drawn Thursday (25 July), against Australian Matthew Ebden and Nadal faces Hungarian Marton Fucsovics, with the winners of those matches meeting in Round 2.
The 38-year-old Nadal won a record 14 of his 22 major trophies at the French Open. He won gold in singles at Beijing in 2008, and in doubles with Marc López at Rio de Janeiro in 2016.
“Roland Garros as everybody knows is the most special place in tennis for me. I am enjoying the fact I am back for the Olympics,” Nadal said on stage after the draw. “I am just trying to enjoy every single moment.”
Djokovic owns 24 Grand Slam trophies, more than anyone else in tennis apart from Margaret Court, but his only Olympic medal was bronze in Beijing in 2008.
Nadal won an Olympic singles gold medal in 2008 and a doubles gold in 2016, suggesting that the Games were even more special than Grand Slams. "Unfortunately I have missed Tokyo and London due to injury and it is something that has hurt me more than missing Grand Slams.
Messenger/Sourov
