The decline of the giants | La Presse

(Paris) Nadal versus Djokovic in Paris. It was the dream matchup of these Olympic Games. “The 60^e chapter of the best rivalry in history,” the Spanish press was excited. And perhaps the Spaniard’s last visit to his Roland-Garros fortress, where he triumphed 14 times.

The total.

Except that at 6-1, 4-0 for Novak Djokovic, the poster has faded. In the Philippe-Chatrier stadium, the applause has become polite, nothing more. Nobody likes to see a nice athlete get humiliated. Even less a giant.

We want our legends to be invincible. Infallible. Immortal. We want them to inspire us. We hope they push the boundaries of age, like Tom Brady, winning the Super Bowl at 43. Like Tiger Woods, winning the Masters at 48. Like Jaromir Jagr, still playing hockey at 52.

But seeing a colossus crack all over, it takes us to the heart. It confronts us with our own vulnerability. With our fragility. There is no pleasure in witnessing the athletic decline of a champion.

Rafael Nadal, then, was struggling terribly. “Clearly, at 6-1, 4-0, I was playing the way he wanted me to. I was unable to repel his attacks.” The king of clay was now a pale copy of the feared player of yesteryear. “I couldn’t put him in difficult situations. I couldn’t produce quality shots or movements. He was almost always in a comfortable position, and he was playing very well. [Battre] Novak without causing damage, without my legs from 20 years ago, it is almost impossible today.”

In 10 minutes, it was believed, the massacre would end. The malaise would finally dissipate. That’s when Nadal, 38, pulled himself together. He found a second wind. He won the next game, then against all odds, he broke the Serb’s serve, which had been imperious until then. One game later, it was suddenly 4-3. It was getting tighter. The malaise was turning into enthusiasm. Were we going to witness a comeback?

On a wall of the Philippe-Chatrier stadium, one can read these words from Roland Garros: “Victory belongs to the most stubborn.” This is the state of mind Rafael Nadal was in at that moment.

Novak Djokovic, hoping to slow his opponent’s momentum, was back on serve. Nadal took a 40-30 lead. In the next rally, Djokovic played more aggressively. He went to the net to smash. Nadal anticipated the shot, returned it with aplomb and broke. A fantastic response, reminiscent of Nadal in his heyday.

The Spaniard took over the serve. Djokovic pushed him to his limits, obtaining a first break point. Then a second. Then a third. Each time, Nadal found a way to get out of it. The fourth, however, was fatal. Djokovic’s game. 5-4. A few minutes later, the Joker closed the books. Final score: 6-1, 6-4. The two players found themselves in the center of the court for a short hug. Nadal did not burst into tears. Nor did he announce that this was his last match in Paris, as many had speculated.

“I don’t think about retirement every day,” he said after the game.

“I can’t complain,” he concluded. “I’ve been playing on this field for 20 years, fighting for the most important things. I’ve accomplished more than I ever dreamed of. If this is my last game here, or when it’s my last game here, I’ll accept it in peace.”

Good start for Leylah Annie Fernandez

If Rafael Nadal is in the twilight of his career, Leylah Annie Fernandez still has several successes waiting for her. Perhaps even this week, in Paris.

On Monday, the Quebec player won her second-round match against Cristina Bucha 7-6 (4), 6-3. A strange duel. In the first set, the two players had their serve broken three times each. “I wanted to be very aggressive,” Fernandez told me. “Sometimes, when you want to be the aggressor, mistakes happen. Sometimes, in my serve, I was too offensive. Other times, not offensive enough. You just had to find a middle ground.”

Still, she is already in the round of 16, with a duel within her reach in the next round. She will face the former number one Angélique Kerber, who will retire after the Games. And as for Nadal, the German’s best days are behind her.