Novak Djokovic advanced to the third round of the Paris Olympics following his win over Rafael Nadal, and his post-match announcement left a number of people “disappointed”

Novak Djokovic left tennis organisers “disappointed” following his mauling of Rafael Nadal at the Olympics.

The Serbian advanced to the third round of the tournament with a straight sets win over his old rival in what’s likely to have been their final ever encounter. Djokovic was the strong favourite heading into the tie, but Nadal’s superior record on clay gave the Spaniard a fighting chance.

But in the end, it was all too easy for the 24-time Grand Slam champion, who clinched a straightforward 6-1, 6-4 victory in front of a slightly hostile Roland Garros crowd. Victory for the 37-year-old means he’ll have to give the Montreal Masters, which begins on August 3, just two days after the final of the Olympic event, a miss.

After Djokovic confirmed his withdrawal, Montreal Masters director Valerie Tetreault said she was disheartened, but also that she understood the decision. “Although we are disappointed that Novak will not be able to participate in this year’s tournament, we understand his decision and wish him all the best at the Olympic Games and the rest of the season,” Tetreault said.

“He’s an incredible player, and we know our fans were excited to have him back at IGA Stadium this summer,” she added. “That being said, our tournament still boasts an exceptional list of players for this year’s event with 42 of the 43 best players in the world, and we can’t wait to see them in action soon.”

In a statement, Djokovic said he too was “disappointed” to pull out, but stressed that given how busy his schedule had been since returning from injury, he couldn’t risk cramming in another event. “I have a lot of great memories from Montreal, winning two titles there (and two others in Toronto),” he wrote.

“However, as I’m recovering from my injury in a very busy calendar this summer, I need to make hard choices. I really hope I can return to Canada and Montreal in the coming years to play in front of their amazing fans.”

Djokovic’s clash with Nadal, 38, on Monday marked their 60th meeting overall, the highest number of matchups between any two players in the Open Era. The result leaves Djokovic with the slightest of edges over Nadal, having won 31 and lost 29 of their encounters.

Djokovic and Nadal were facing each other for the 60th time ( 
Image:
Getty Images)
He’ll face Dominik Koepfer in the third round, and a win there would book a place in the quarter-finals against either Sebastian Baez or Stefanos Tsitsipas. Elsewhere, the likes of Carlos Alcaraz, who beat Djokovic in straight sets in this month’s Wimbledon final, Casper Ruud, Alexander Zverev and Taylor Fritz are still in the tournament and could meet Djokovic in the latter stages.

Djokovic holds the record for most Grand Slam titles in history with 24, but the Belgrade-born superstar has never won Olympic gold. He’s been close on multiple occasions, having won bronze at Tokyo 2020, and finished fourth at both London 2012 and Beijing 2008.