Novak Djokovic progressed to the third round of the men's singles tennis tournament at the Olympic Games after a straight sets victory over his long-time rival Rafael Nadal.
The record Grand Slam winner is on the hunt for the only accolade missing from his collection, and he swiftly dispatched Nadal in the opening set at Roland Garros.
The venue has been the stage for Nadal's 14 French Open triumphs, and in what is anticipated to be his final appearance on the Parisian clay, fans were hoping for a fairytale ending.
After taking the first set 6-1, Djokovic appeared poised to easily overcome Nadal in the second during their 60th encounter. However, the Spaniard rallied from a break down to level the score at 4-4.
Nonetheless, the Serbian regained his advantage in the next game before serving out the match to secure a 6-1, 6-4 victory. Although Nadal's hopes of a second singles gold medal were thwarted, the veteran remains in the men's doubles draw alongside Carlos Alcaraz.
The Games are Djokovic's fifth attempt to claim a gold medal. The 37-year-old's best performance came during his debut at the Beijing Olympics in 2008.
He entered this year's competition as the top seed, while reigning French Open and Wimbledon champion Alcaraz—who defeated him in London earlier this month—is the biggest threat to his pursuit.
Alcaraz takes on Dutch player Tallon Griekspoor later on Monday for a place in the next round. Djokovic, meanwhile, will play the winner of the clash between Germany's Dominik Koepfer and Italian Matteo Arnaldi.
