A humble battle of legends: Nadal wary of Djokovic threat in Paris

Spain’s legendary tennis star Rafael Nadal has played down the possibility of securing a win against his long-time rival Novak Djokovic. The two are often regarded as among the greatest players in the history of men’s tennis in the Open era, having won more than 20 Grand Slam titles in their illustrious careers.

Nadal and Djokovic are set to face off again in the second round of the Paris Olympics. The meeting is much-awaited as it might be the last between the two at the highest level. It will be the 60th meeting between the two players in professional tennis. The Spaniard was quoted in a report by England media outlet The Independent, in which he played down the possibility of beating a legendary player like Djokovic once again.

The 37-year-old was of the opinion that he and the current world number two are coming into the contest in different circumstances. One is coming after playing the final of a Grand Slam where Nadal has struggled with fitness concerns throughout the year. “(We’re at) different situations in our careers,” he said. “He’s coming from being in the final of a grand slam and I’m coming without being very competitive in the last two years.

“Let’s see, it’s in a special place. I’m just going to try to give my best and enjoy it as much as possible. It has always been super special to play against Novak. No doubt about that, but the difference is normally we have been playing for finals or semi-finals but this is the second round. Almost every single match I played against him I was in a different situation than I am today, so that makes it much more difficult for me. I’m more unpredictable now, but I always have hope, I always believe.”

Nadal defeated Hungary’s Marton Fucsovics in the opening round of the competition on Sunday with a score of 6-1, 4-6, 6-4. On the other hand, Djokovic outclassed Australia’s Matthew Ebden in the first-round encounter in straight sets with a score of 6-0, 6-1. It will be the 29th meeting between the two on Clay Court. In the previous 28 meetings, Nadal has a clear edge with 20 wins and just eight defeats.