Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal's rivalry is one of the greatest in sporting history, and Djokovic hopes the pair can play one more time at the Paris Olympics.
The importance of the Paris Olympics cannot be overstated. Winning a gold medal is the only thing he has yet to achieve during his illustrious career, and this iteration of the event is almost certain to be his final opportunity.
Djokovic recently hit back at his critics, saying he knows they would "love him to retire," but playing until the next Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028 seems unrealistic, even for someone with Djokovic's longevity.
Winning a gold medal at the Olympics, being Djokovic's biggest priority, is shown by the Serbian not playing in the doubles. He knows singles are his most significant opportunity, and he is prioritizing it for that reason.
The men's singles draw at the Olympics immediately created headlines because of the possibility of Nadal and Djokovic meeting in the second round, provided Djokovic beats Matthew Ebden, and Nadal overcomes Marton Fucsovics.
However, there are doubts about Nadal's fitness heading into the Olympics. The 22-time Grand Slam champion canceled his practice sessions on Thursday due to a thigh issue, and Carlos Moya admitted that he could not guarantee that Nadal would be ready to play.
Encouragingly, Nadal did practice and played a set alongside his doubles partner for the Olympics, Carlos Alcaraz, on Friday. However, the 38-year-old may choose only to play doubles if his thigh is too much of an issue.
Speaking at the Prelude To The Olympics at Foundation Louis Vuitton, Djokovic said if Nadal chooses to play in the singles, he knew there was a chance of the pair meeting early in the draw due to Nadal's injury issues in recent years.
"Obviously, he hasn't played much, and his ranking dropped, so there was always going to be that possibility of meeting him in the early rounds. So, there we go. It's definitely going to be a spectacle if we get to meet."
Djokovic then outlined why he hopes the potential meeting between him and Nadal does happen, and predicted there could be some fireworks on the court.
"Expect some fireworks on the court like the good old times. I hope we get to meet because it'll probably be one last dance for both of us."
The 24-time Grand Slam champion also discussed his enduring respect for his great rival, including mentioning the dominance the 14-time French Open champion managed for so long on clay.
"All the respect to Rafa, of course. It's just that he was injured and everything, but he's always the king of clay, and what he's done here at Roland-Garros is unprecedented. So, I can't wait to step on a court with him."
Djokovic seems confident that he and Nadal will meet if the legendary Spaniard elects to play in the singles at the Paris Olympics. Tennis fans worldwide eagerly hope that happens so that their incredible rivalry gets one more chapter.
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