Tennis great Novak Djokovic’s opening win at the 2024 Summer Olympics was sufficiently dominant for opponent Matthew Ebden to invite a member of the crowd to replace him midway through his mauling at the Paris Games.
Australian Ebden – a doubles specialist who has never surpassed the third round of a grand-slam singles competition – made the offer during his 6-0, 6-1 thrashing at the hands of the most successful player in men’s tennis history.
Djokovic had a knee operation after withdrawing from the French Open in May, and the 24-time grand slam champion could not have imagined an easier fitness test than his crushing victory over 36-year-old Ebden.
Ebden just asked people in the crowd if they wanted to play against Djokovic instead of him 😭😂
Down 0-6 0-2, although, to be fair, Matthew hasn’t played a singles match in TWO YEARS 😅 pic.twitter.com/rQgIxx361j
— Olly 🎾🇬🇧 (@Olly_Tennis_) July 27, 2024
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Djokovic vs Nadal next?
A Wimbledon 2024 finalist since his surgery, Djokovic will play fellow icon Rafael Nadal in the second round if the Spaniard beats world number 83 Marton Fucsovics on Sunday.
Nadal’s doubles partner, Carlos Alcaraz, had a passage almost as straightforward as Djokovic to the next round.
The man who beat Djokovic to the Wimbledon title outclassed world number 275 Hady Habib, of Lebanon, in a 6-3, 6-1 win.
World number three Alcaraz will take on Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor or Britain’s Cameron Norrie next.
Matt Ebden’s reaction to finally getting a game against Novak Djokovic at the Olympics 😂😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/N3Z7Je8Zh8
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) July 27, 2024
Newcomer Alcaraz has already won four majors at the age of 21, while Olympic gold is one of the few remaining feats left for Djokovic to achieve in the sport.
Swiatek: Olympics starts with win
Elsewhere at the Games, women’s world number one Iga Swiatek had a trickier time against an opponent ranked 135 places below her.
Romanian Irina-Camelia Begu yielded the first set 6-2 to the Pole but earned a break in the second, which Swiatek eventually took 7-5.
Four of Swiatek’s five grand-slam titles have come at Roland Garros, where the Olympic tournament is being played.
The 23-year-old will seek a 23rd consecutive win at the home of French tennis against Nadia Podoroska or Diane Parry in the second round.
