Novak Djokovic dominated rival Rafael Nadal at the start, then held off a comeback attempt to win 6-1, 6-4 at the Paris Olympics in the second round Monday, the 60th - and likely last - head-to-head matchup between the two tennis greats.
Djokovic claimed 10 of the initial 11 games, with Nadal nowhere near the skilled and ever-hustling version of himself that won a record 14 French Open trophies on the same red clay at Roland Garros that is hosting Summer Games matches. Instead, Nadal was diminished, showing every bit of his 38 years, and looking like someone who might be ready to head into retirement after playing only sparingly the past two seasons because of a series of injuries, including hip surgery.
Then, suddenly, the indefatigable Nadal got going, making a push to turn this contest competitive, which surely no one - least of all Djokovic - found too surprising. Nadal captured four consecutive games in the second set, including a forehand winner to break to make it 4-all. He raised his left fist, drawing roars from a packed Court Philippe Chatrier crowd that repeatedly tried to encourage him with chants of "Ra-fa! Ra-fa!"
And that's when Djokovic regained control. He broke right back, pointing to his left ear while walking to the sideline as if to taunt Nadal's supporters and ask, "Where are your cheers now?" Djokovic then served out the victory.
Earlier this month, Djokovic accused the Wimbledon crowd of "disrespect" after he said some fans booed him during his match against 21-year-old Holger Rune. Djokovic sees hungry, young players as motivation, he told "60 Minutes" in December.
When Djokovic won the 2023 U.S. Open men's singles final beating out Daniil Medvedev, who's nearly a decade younger than him, he became the oldest man to win the tournament in the Open era.
"I think they kind of awaken a beast in me," he told "60 Minutes."
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