Rafael Nadal lost in his singles competition at the 2024 Paris Olympics, and due to a thigh injury, he had to decide about doubles.
Monday in Paris was truly tennis day because the whole world wanted to see how the 14-time Roland Garros champion would do against Novak Djokovic. It wasn't just the iconic nature of the match—it was between two legends of the sport—but also a proper test for the Spaniard.
There is a lot of uncertainty about his career, and where he is with his level, so many wanted to see if he could be competitive against one of the best players in the world who could challenge for the medal.
Unfortunately for Nadal, it wasn't a very competitive match, and it became clear early on. Djokovic was highly motivated and approached the match very seriously, which allowed him to outplay his opponent easily.
He took a 3-0 lead and then a 5-1 lead in the opening set to win it 6-1. The second set didn't really offer anything new, with Djokovic finding himself up 4-0. He lost that lead, admitting after the match that he got a bit too comfortable, which allowed Nadal to fight back and make it 4-4, but that wasn't enough to stop the Serbian.
After the match concluded, Nadal talked to the media, and there were many questions. Some asked whether the loss helped him to figure out when he may retire from professional tennis, to which he strongly responded that he wasn't thinking about retirement every day.
Some asked whether the supposed injury he had a few days ago impacted his play, to which Nadal said that it didn't and that he felt good, meaning that he would be able to compete in his second-round match in doubles alongside Carlos Alcaraz.
"I'm fine, no problems in that sense. I had a small negative image five days ago in the long abductor because a fiber came loose but it was a very small injury that I have allowed myself to play. It hasn't been a problem and I'm looking forward to playing the doubles tomorrow and doing well."
Nadal and Alcaraz will continue their run in the second round of the tournament against the Dutch pairing of Tallon Griekspoor and Wesley Koolhof. It's a fascinating matchup between two teams with a lot of potential.
Alcaraz bested Griekspoor in the singles tournament, but the Spanish player took a medical timeout towards the end of the match, so there are also some question marks about his health.
Nadal seems to be healthy, even though his thigh has been heavily strapped, but even if he was injured, he likely would not have admitted to it, trying to keep any information about his health away from his opponents.
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