For the 60th time: Rafael Nadal set for mouth-watering Novak Djokovic Olympic Games clash after brilliant Fucsovics win
ATPSunday, 28 July 2024 at 17:58
After many doubts, Rafael Nadal entered the Philippe Chatrier court to play the men's singles of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games but the Novak Djokovic tie is on.
In the first round, the Hungarian Marton Fucsovics was waiting for him, and after an overwhelming first set for the Spaniard, the match was complicated but he still managed to pull it off and win 6-1, 4-6, 6-4.
Nadal stunning in first set
Nadal started the match with the best version of Rafa. He gave a stratospheric level throughout the first set, in which he destroyed his opponent physically, tennis and mentally. The only small downturn he had was in the 3-0, after the first change of side, when Fucsovics took the opportunity to win his only game of the set, but the Spaniard had no mercy at all and endorsed a resounding 6-1, closing out by holding his serve.
Fucsovics ties in a set where Nadal went from strength to strength
The start of the second set was similar to the first but with the roles reversed. This time it was Fucsovics who was dominating the match completely. The typical drop in tension and concentration after winning a set, as already happened in the doubles with Carlos Alcaraz, allowed the Hungarian to take the lead with an early break and move to 4-1 and 15-40 up on Rafa's serve.
But Nadal was not going to give up easily, starting to play more tactical than physical. And he regained the break when Fucsovics was serving to level the match. However, with his own serve he got into serious difficulties, giving the world number 83 a double chance to close the set to the rest. That's when he again pulled out all his mental strength to save them. Instead, the Hungarian came up with another chance and a bad drop shot from Rafa gave him the set.
Nadal takes a more epic course than expected
The third and final set started with both players having a lot of problems in their service games. They managed to pull them through but with 2-2 on the scoreboard Rafa went a step further and broke. From that moment on, neither Fuscovics nor Nadal suffered a break, and the Spaniard closed a match more complicated than it had seemed at the beginning with a 6-4 final.
In the second round he will face his arch nemesis on the court Novak Djokovic. The only man who has more Grand Slam titles than him, the player he has already faced 59 times on the biggest stages of the tennis world, in what could be the last duel of the best male rivalry in the history of the racket sport.
Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.
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- Big Babe Tennis! Hoping for a good final.DaveyWavey12-09-2026
- Director needs to return to his old "job" at the Australia Open. He's clueless in NYC.
mandoist12-09-2026 - You keep writing ridiculous crap... why are you even watching tennis?mandoist12-09-2026
- They probably have a very good reason for this. I do not get it. Annoying that it finishes so late
AceOfBase12-09-2026 - I hope he wins. Would be great to have a USA winner again with the men.AceOfBase12-09-2026
- I love WTA matches. Seek them out as much as possible on youtube and other platforms I already subscribe to. With that in mind, I do not wish to pay $$$ to a notoriously slippery subscription conglomerate sports broadcaster (like SkySports) just for the privilege to watch it and the tnt/eurosport/discovery subscription went from $$ to $$$+ annually in a blink of an eye. With ATP I have been begrudgingly paying xyz tennis only channel and try to catch up on slams elsewhere (pubs, youtube with USO later on games are just as enjoyable to watch and a smart move to upload on their official channel) but they don't cover WTA. I tried another Tennis dedicated channel that advertised originally as broadcasting where I live, but turned out, they took the money, but didn't cover the matches (only fluff/filler value documentaries). I don't understand why it is so hard to not lock the live matches to one broadcaster only refusing so many people who are happy to pay for the privilege just not through that one entry point. WTA is so exciting for the last few years and they really should capitalise on it as much as possible. And I know it is somewhat naive talking without knowing the inner works, but not being able to find any WTA other than youtube (and then only highlights mostly) is just so frustrating.JayJay11-09-2026
- Clearly not AI :-)AceOfBase11-09-2026
- Oh my God!! Does anyone proofread these pages??? Case in point: However, the question mark over the 32-years-old head......???? No! No! No! However, the question mark over the 32-year-old's head...good grief man, hire a proofreader. This article is rife with errors making some sentences very difficult to read. I had to stop. I am a proofreader hence my disgust.Rapunzel10-09-2026
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- Looks like tennis has become a part of the American Oligarchy. As usual, Pegula is given a cupcake draw. With all her money, they have to fixed the draws in her favor in order to raised the trophy.crissy09-09-2026
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