July 27, (THEWILL) – Novak Djokovic made a strong start to his Olympic campaign, defeating Matthew Ebden 6-0, 6-1 in the opening round of the tennis event at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The match, played under the roof of Court Philippe Chatrier, lasted only 53 minutes. Djokovic, who holds 24 Grand Slam titles, is aiming for his first Olympic gold medal.
The 37-year-old Serbian dominated the match against Ebden, a 36-year-old Australian who entered the tournament as an alternate due to injury withdrawals.
The top-seeded Djokovic now faces a potential second-round clash with long-time rival Rafael Nadal. The Spanish player, who has been dealing with a thigh strain, must first overcome Hungary’s Marton Fucsovics in his opening match.
Djokovic and Nadal have met 59 times previously, with Djokovic holding a narrow 30-29 lead in their head-to-head record. However, at Roland Garros, where Nadal has won 14 of his 22 Grand Slams, the Spaniard leads 8-2 in their encounters.
In other Olympic tennis news, world number one Iga Swiatek also progressed to the second round of the women’s singles event. The tournament continues with high-profile players who made it competing for medals in both singles and doubles competitions.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
