24-time Grand Slam Champion Novak Djokovic beat his old rival Rafael Nadal at the Paris Olympic Games on Monday. It may be the final time Nadal appears on a professional tennis court after suggesting it would be his last tournament he will play at.
The blockbuster first round tie was an eagerly anticipated match but Djokovic seemed on a different level to his Spanish opponent for large parts of the contest. The 37-year-old Serb went on to claim a straight sets victory 6-1 6-4.
The tennis Olympic tournament is being played at Roland Garros, the home of the French Open. Nadal has won the French Grand Slam a record 14 times and was hoping to add an Olympic medal to his haul of accomplishments. The King of Clay has struggled with injuries in recent years and was unable to match the power and quality Djokovic.
It was the 60th meeting between the two great players – no two men have ever played each other more. They first met in 2006 and after some epic battles Djokovic leads their head-to-head 31-29.