Olympics: Djokovic defeats Nadal in their 60th meeting

Rafael Nadal lost to Novak Djokovic at the Olympics, 6-2, 6-4, in what may have been their final match as a partnership.

Djokovic, the 24-time Grand Slam champion, won for the 31st match in their rivalry, which started in 2006 on the same clay courts of Roland-Garros. In the highly anticipated match on Monday, Nadal was largely outmatched and only really came to life in the second set when he won four games in a row.

I'm so relieved," Djokovic remarked. "I was up 6-1 and 4-0 and everything was going my way, but I played a careless service game and handed him opportunities.” "I never imagined back in 2006 that we'd still be playing each other almost 20 years later," he continued.

As a testament to the strain and abrasion the two have had lately, Djokovic had protective strapping around his right knee while Nadal had a lot of strapping around his right thigh. Nevertheless, Djokovic was unrestricted in his play, making Nadal duck around Court Philippe Chatrier, the site of 14 of the Spaniard's 22 Grand Slam victories.

Much to the relief of a crowded atmosphere, the 37-year-old Serb rode to a 4-0 lead on the strength of a double break and held for 5-0 before Nadal stopped the rot.

When 2008 Olympic gold champion Rafael Nadal sent a forehand wide of the mark, Djokovic won the one-sided opening set.

For the 38-year-old Spaniard, who could only muster four games off Djokovic's serve in the opening set, the numbers were depressing. Playing in just his eighth tournament of a season beset by injuries, Nadal had little respite as Djokovic again carved out a double break for a 4-0 lead in the second set. Seeking his first Olympic gold medal to add to his 24 Grand Slam victories, Djokovic unexpectedly gave Nadal a lifeline when he served up a double fault for the first time to be broken. The top seed abruptly lost steam, but Nadal recovered to win the second break and rally from 0–4 to 4–4.

In response, Djokovic stunned Nadal with a drop shot, allowing the Serb to break for a 5-4 lead on his fourth break opportunity and seal the win with an ace. Nadal is still aiming for a gold medal in the men's doubles division, where he is partnered with Carlos Alcaraz, despite losing on Monday.

Check our previous news report about their faceoff here