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PARIS — Watching Rafael Nadal at the French Open is like watching Simone Biles on the beam or Keith Richards on stage — nostalgic and thrilling no matter the outcome, no matter how many times you’ve seen it before.
Nadal still asks the ball boys for three balls at every point. He still hits the clay with his heels three times before every serve: right foot, left foot, right foot. He still fiddles with his headband, shirt and wristband in exactly the same way. When he moves, he spins his forehand so fast that the racket seems to bend, and he glides across the red clay with the steady grace of an Olympic figure skater.
Against many other opponents, Rafael Nadal could still show his old magic. Against Novak Djokovic, he is simply trying to hold off the decline.
On Monday, Djokovic and Nadal met for the 60th time, this time in the second round of the 2024 Olympics at the famed Roland-Garros, in a match that went from bleak to thrilling to inevitable. They have staged classic battles before, including several on this very court, but this Olympic showdown — the 38-year-old Nadal’s final Olympic appearance and perhaps his final battle with Djokovic — was not one of them. Djokovic won the first five games of the first set and the first four of the second, before Nadal rallied for a late comeback. He tied the second set at 4 before dropping a break and succumbing. Final result: Djokovic over Nadal, 6-1, 6-4.
The two have spent the past decade battling each other for all-time supremacy, with 46 Grand Slam titles between them. Before Monday, Djokovic held a one-match lead, 30-29. But Nadal has a clear career advantage against Djokovic — and every other human on Earth — at Roland-Garros; Nadal came into this match with a 7-2 lead on the red clay. Yet it was clear from the start that all-time supremacy alone was not enough — not anymore.
The two legends took the court at 1:42 p.m. local time under a cloudless blue sky, with a scorching 85 degrees Fahrenheit at the first pitch for Paris. Nadal entered the court first and neither man greeted the other as they passed by on Centre Court. Both wore white shorts and red T-shirts with the prominent colors of their national flags: Djokovic, Serbian blue; Nadal, Spanish yellow.
But the only opponent more formidable than Djokovic is Time, and Time is starting to rack up points against Nadal. He fought back from a draw in the first game, but lost two points later. His serve lacked its classic oomph; his shots went a little long, a little wide; he crashed into the net too often to survive.
Meanwhile, Djokovic may have lost a step or two, but that still leaves him miles ahead of almost everyone else on Earth. His aggressive stroke execution kept Nadal on the defensive all afternoon, and his demeanor was that of a boa constrictor, circling Nadal with winner after relentless winner until the outcome was clear long before the final score reflected it. When he dropped a hammer in the second set against Nadal, all the Spaniard could do was slam his hand on the ropes in defeat.
Nadal can still pull out some gems. Trailing 3-0 in the first set, he forced deuce with a drop shot so delicate and precise it could have landed in a teacup and not splattered a drop. Trailing 5-1, he slipped and sent a return with spin into the right-hand corner, out of Djokovic’s reach, and all Djokovic could do was give a thumbs-up to say “you got me” as the ball sailed past.
As Nadal struggled to find his shot, flailing and double-faulting, the Roland-Garros crowd tried to cheer the Spaniard on, chanting “RA-FA!”, “El Magnífico!” and “Ole!” And for a moment, it worked; Nadal fought back from a 4-0 deficit in the second set and tied it at 4-4.
But in the end, the fans’ prayers went unanswered as Djokovic broke Nadal’s serve to take a 5-4 lead, and moments later closed out the match with an ace.
Roland-Garros now has new gods. Nadal has won 14 Roland Garros, but it seems unlikely he will ever add to that tally. He has two gold medals (one in singles in 2008 and one in doubles in 2016), but has said that this will be his last Olympics. He is still alive in doubles (he and Carlos Alcaraz form a fearsome duo), but his days in Olympic singles are over.
At the final change, trailing 5-4 in the second set, Nadal still ran toward the baseline, a little slower, yes, but still running toward his destination.
The twilight is approaching for Rafael Nadal, but he will have to chase it.