Paris 2024 Olympics: Nadal ‘ready to play’ singles with Djokovic in sight

Rafael Nadal is “ready to play” in Sunday’s Olympic singles despite concerns over a thigh injury, while a thrilling match against old rival Novak Djokovic looms tantalisingly within reach.

The 38-year-old Nadal, who won his opening doubles match with Carlos Alcaraz on Saturday, will face Hungarian Marton Fucsovics in the first round, but he is playing with a heavily bandaged right thigh.

“The issue of the connection is difficult, but it is also a question of prevention,” said Spain captain David Ferrer.

“We’ll see how it develops once the game is over, but as I said, the most important thing is that he is warmed up today and ready to play.”

On Saturday, Nadal had expressed doubts about his participation in the singles, insisting he would “make the smartest decision I could, to have the best chance of taking home a medal, so let’s see.”

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Nadal, who won gold in the singles at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing and the doubles title four years later in Rio de Janeiro, will play only his seventh tournament in 2024.

Before suffering a thigh injury, he also struggled with a hip problem and was forced to miss Wimbledon.

Nadal has won 14 of his 22 Grand Slam titles in Paris, but at 38, time is running out for the Spaniard, who was knocked out for the first time at Roland Garros last month.

He is unseeded for the Games, and if he beats Fucsovics, he will face top-seeded Djokovic in the second round, which would be the pair’s 60th meeting.

“Roland Garros is the most special place in the tennis world for me,” said Nadal, who won Olympic singles gold in Beijing in 2008 and won doubles gold with Marc Lopez in Rio eight years later.