PARIS: Tennis great Rafael Nadal’s Olympics singles career is over after Novak Djokovic beat his arch-rival 6-1, 6-4 in the Paris second round, the German news agency (dpa) reported.
The Spaniard is still in the doubles along with compatriot and heir Carlos Alcaraz but whether he will be seen on a singles court again remains to be seen.
The injury-prone 38-year-old has said this season is probably his last and having gone out of the French Open in May in the first round, skipping Wimbledon and then bowing out early here, a tilt at September’s US Open may now be in doubt.
Djokovic leads the way with a men’s record 24 grand slam titles, with Nadal second on the all-time list with 22, but the latter’s injury problems meant he was not seeded for the Games and came up against the rampant Serbian early.
The 37-year-old burst into a 2-0 lead in the first set and barely looked back at Court Philippe Chatrier, where Nadal had reigned supreme for so many years in the French Open, winning a record 14 titles.
Nadal — the 2008 Olympic singles champion — had few answers to the top seed’s barrage although he heroically battled back from 4-0 down to 4-4 in the second set.
Olympic glory is the one big prize missing from Djokovic’s resume and he will fancy his chances at Roland Garros over the coming days having won the French Open three times.
He plays Germany’s Dominik Koepfer or Italian Matteo Arnaldi in the third round. — BERNAMA-dpa
