Remember Roger Federer’s last dance in the Laver Cup alongside Rafael Nadal in 2022? Probably a similar scenario will unfold at the Olympics too! But the participants will be different. There will be Rafael Nadal on one side, and fighting against him will be former World No. 1, Novak Djokovic. And sadly, this is not only going to be their last encounter against each other, but probably Nadal’s last dance before retirement too!

At the beginning of the season, Nadal announced his probable retirement from tennis. We all expected him to change his mind, but Nadal, who has been suffering from hip injuries since last year, remained firm in his decision. Although he returned to action and played in back-to-back tournaments this season, the news of his looming retirement still haunted fans. And maybe the time has finally come as Craig Shapiro, a renowned podcaster, has confirmed the news of Nadal’s stepping away from the sport after his upcoming match against Djokovic in the second round at the Games.

But it’s worthy to note that the 22-time Grand Slam champion has not himself confirmed any such thing yet. Instead, when he was in an interview ahead of the Games, he declared, “I never said that. I don’t know. I didn’t make any decision to say anything.” The Spaniard who surprised fans by coming out as the torch bearer during the opening ceremony of the Games wants to enjoy his time there. While in singles, his match against Marton Fucsovics proved to be fruitful, and his performance along with Carlos Alcaraz in the doubles also raised our expectations to see the champion back in his form.

“I’m just enjoying these moments playing together with Carlos now. In doubles, (it’s) been an unforgettable day today — and for me, an unforgettable day yesterday,” he said after both of his matches. However, soon after that, the 38-year-old player expressed his uncertainty regarding playing his next singles match. He wanted to consult his team before going ahead with his fourth appearance in the Games. Besides, the two time Olympic gold medalist is also suffering from a thigh injury and went through a series of treatments before embarking on his journey at the Olympics.

As a result, it won’t come as a total surprise to fans if he decides to end his career after the match. However, before that, we all want to see him perform one last time against one of his biggest rivals in tennis, Djokovic. And both have shared their excitement about competing against each other after almost two years!

Nadal and Djokovic share their thoughts on their upcoming showdown at the Olympics

When Federer played his last match in tennis, we knew that he might be gone from the tennis world, but his two biggest rivals are still there to entertain us. However, Nadal, who last played against Djokovic in the quarterfinals of Roland Garros in 2022, was struck down by a hip injury that compelled him to take a short hiatus from the sport for the majority of last year. But now, he is back to play his 60th match against Djokovic—that too at the Games! Interestingly, Djokovic leads him by 30-29. Therefore, if Nadal wins, their head-to-head count will be tied. And the Spaniard is ready to give his best effort to compete against him again.

“Of course it’s beautiful to play against one of the two biggest rivals that I had in my career, especially on this court,” Nadal said. Similarly, the Serbian tennis pro, Djokovic, is over the moon to once again play against Nadal. “I am excited for this duel in the second round, and I will give it my all, I am aware of the importance of the Olympic Games. I represent my country, which is more responsibility and even more pressure,” the 37-year-old player said.

As both take on each other for probably the last time, undoubtedly, their encounter will not only be incredibly “beautiful,” but it will definitely bring tears to our eyes!