MOSCOW, July 29 Former world number one Spaniard Rafael Nadal said that Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic played his best game during their second round match at the Olympic tournament in Paris.
Djokovic defeated Nadal 6:1, 6:4 on Monday. Djokovic and Nadal played their 60th face-to-face match and their first since 2022. The score in personal meetings is 31-29 in favor of the Serb. The tennis players played their first game in 2006 in the quarterfinals of the French Open.
«One player was much better than the other, and we have to accept it. It was hard to digest everything that happened for an hour, although I tried. I couldn't play at the level I needed to. I don't have the legs I had 15 years ago, the same quality of the ball. You can't create problems for the best in history,» Marca quotes Nadal as saying.
«I'm trying to look ahead, and when the Olympic Games are over, I'll make decisions (about my future). I'll have to make them based on my desire and feelings, although for many it doesn't make much sense,» the Spaniard added.
Nadal is 38 years old, he is a 22-time winner of Grand Slam tournaments, the Spaniard's 14 victories at Roland Garros are a record. No other tennis player has won one Grand Slam tournament more times. The Spaniard missed almost the entire 2023 season due to injuries and surgery. Nadal is a two-time Olympic champion (one gold in singles, one in doubles).
Djokovic, 37, is the winner of 24 Grand Slam tournaments, a record. In total, he has won 98 trophies in singles during his career.