Serbian Novak Djokovic continues his journey, now in the quarter-finals of the Olympic tournament, three victories from gold, a quest over for the five-star duo Nadal-Alcaraz, who went out in the quarter-finals on Wednesday.
This pair has made the tennis world fantasize. Symbol of a passing of the baton between the two Spaniards, one having just won his first Roland-Garros at 21, the other, at 38, with his 14 Porte d’Auteuil titles: their path stopped in the quarter-finals.
The two partners did not survive against real doubles specialists, the Americans Ram and Krajicek, winners 6-2,6-4. The Olympics are therefore over for Rafael Nadal, 38, who was knocked out by Novak Djokovic in the second round in singles, and who leaves Paris without a medal. He explained following this defeat that he would consider his future “after the Olympics”.
Nadal repeated that he “didn’t know” if it was the last time he would step on the courts and meet the public at Roland Garros, “but if it is the last time, it was a moment of unforgettable feelings and emotions,” he said. “I don’t know what will happen in the future,” he explained, skeptical about his participation in the US Open, the last Grand Slam of the season at the end of August. “Probably not, but I will let you know quickly,” he replied about his possible participation.
A quest that his partner, who did not hang around in the singles, can still continue. A match folded 6-4, 6-2 against the Russian Roman Safiullin (66e world), earlier in the day. Carlos Alcaraz (3e world) must face the American Tommy Paul (13e world) in the quarter-finals.
Djokovic also hasn’t let much slip in the tournament, a sign of his determination. After having unceremoniously eliminated Nadal in the second round, he followed up perfectly on Wednesday against the German Dominik Koepfer (70e world), beaten 7-5, 6-3.
Money time
In search of Olympic gold, which is missing from his immense gallery of trophies where 24 Grand Slams already stand — a record — “Djoko” will now enter the money time. He will face the Greek Stéfanos Tsitsipás in a flamboyant quarter-final, for a rematch of the Australian Open final in January 2023, won by the Serb and also that of Roland-Garros in 2021 where Tsitsipás led 2 sets to 0. Much more embarrassing on clay than on hard, he did not think too much to eliminate the Argentinian Sebastien Baez, also a serious client on the ochre, 7-5, 6-1.
“I know his game very well,” assured the Serb, who expects “a big fight and a close match.” “He is one of the most solid players on the circuit in the last five or ten years,” he acknowledged.
In the women’s competition, Iga Swiatek is two steps away from the title. She had a bit of a scare, pushed to the third set by Collins in the quarter-finals before the American gave up and retired, finally beaten 6-1, 2-6, 4-1 (ab). In the semi-finals, she will have to overcome the obstacle of the Chinese Qinwan Zheng, no 7 in the world, the biggest player still in the running, but whom Swiatek has always beaten in six confrontations.