PARIS — Rafael Nadal was greeted by a standing ovation from a full crowd at Court Philippe Chatrier when he stepped onto its red clay Sunday for a first-round singles match at the Paris Olympics against Marton Fucsovics of Hungary.
It’s the same stadium where Nadal has won a record 14 French Open titles - and there is a statue of the Spaniard outside the arena, where fans gathered to snap photos of themselves with the steel rendering of the player. He gave a quick wave as he walked in during prematch introductions.
When Nadal and Fucsovics began warming up, there were shouts of “Ole!” and then “Ra-fa! Ra-fa!” Spectators rose from their seats again when Nadal jumped out to a 3-0 lead after just 13 minutes en route to taking the first set by a 6-1 score.
There were repeated cries of “Vamos, Rafa!” When one voice called out, “Allez, Rafa!” just as Nadal was about to serve, distracting him, other folks booed.
The 38-year-old Nadal decided Sunday that he would, indeed, play singles at these Summer Games, in addition to doubles alongside Carlos Alcaraz, after saying Saturday night he wasn’t sure whether he would participate in both events.
Nadal has dealt with a series of injuries the past two seasons, and his right thigh was taped Sunday, just as it was during the his first-round doubles victory Saturday night.
PHOTOS: Rafael Nadal takes the first set against Marton Fucscovics at the Paris Olympics
The 22-time Grand Slam champion said Saturday that he wanted to consult with his team before figuring out what to do, then went through a practice session Sunday morning to test his fitness. But in the end, he opted to play singles, too, much to the delight of the spectators waving red-and-yellow Spanish flags in the stands and using their phones to capture memories of the moment.
Nadal and Alcaraz - Spain’s old-and-new pairing of tennis superstars - won the first match they’ve ever played together as a doubles team, eliminating Argentina’s Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni 7-6 (4), 6-4. About 18 1/2 hours later, Nadal was back on court to face Fucsovics.
Nadal has not made clear whether the Summer Games will be the last event of his storied career, although there’s been plenty of speculation it will be, given all of his recent health problems, including an operation on his hip last year. He also has a special connection with Roland Garros, which is hosting tennis matches at the 2024 Olympics and is the site of the annual French Open.
Asked Saturday whether these Olympics could be his final outing before retirement, Nadal replied: “I never said that. I don’t know.”
Nadal’s participation in the 2024 Olympics actually began Friday night, when he was a surprise torch bearer during the opening ceremony.
If Nadal, who won Olympic golds in singles at Beijing in 2008 and in doubles with Marc López at Rio de Janeiro in 2016, does beat Fucsovics, next up would be a second-round match against longtime rival Novak Djokovic, who owns a men’s-record 24 Grand Slam titles.
No one has taken on Nadal more than Djokovic, one of his counterparts in the so-called Big Three of men’s tennis, which also featured the now-retired Roger Federer. There have been 59 installments of Nadal vs. Djokovic, more than between any two other men in the Open era of tennis, which dates to 1968.
Djokovic leads 30-29 overall, while Nadal leads 11-7 in Grand Slam matches - including 8-2 at Roland Garros.
“Playing him is like a final, really, for me in any tournament, particularly here, knowing what he has achieved, what he’s done, for our sport, particularly here in Roland Garros. His record speaks for itself,” Djokovic said after winning his first-round match on Saturday. “I look forward to it. If we get to face each other, it’s going to be possibly the last time we get to face each other on a big stage. I’m sure that people will enjoy it. I’m looking forward to it.”
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