Nadal, Djokovic set to clash in Olympics tennis second round
The singles draws have been announced for the Olympics tennis events, and a blockbuster second-round matchup between Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal is on the cards in Paris.
The 64-man format has dished up a host of fascinating first-round clashes.
Australia’s Alex de Minaur takes on the dangerous Jan-Lennard Struff of Germany, Britain’s Jack Draper faces Japan’s Kei Nishikori, while two generations square off as Italian youngster Lorenzo Musetti plays French veteran Gael Monfils.
In the women’s event, Iga Swiatek must overcome a challenging run if she is to claim her first Olympic gold.
The Pole has the in-form Diana Shnaider in a potential third-round match, with the likes of Danielle Collins and Coco Gauff looming later in the bracket.
Djokovic and Nadal on collision course
With 22-time Grand Slam champion Nadal entering the Olympics unseeded, all eyes were on where he would fall in the draw.
Earlier this year at the French Open, he was drawn to play No.4 seed Alexander Zverev in the opening round.
Playing at the same venue but this time for Olympic gold, Nadal has received a more straightforward first-round match against Marton Fucsovics.
It is his second-round opponent that catches the eye.
Top seed Djokovic has been drawn next to Nadal in Paris. The Serbian plays Australia’s Matthew Ebden in his opening match.
If both Djokovic and Nadal win their openers, the two tennis legends will play in perhaps the most anticipated second-round match of any Olympic Games.
It would be the 59th meeting between the pair, with Djokovic leading their head-to-head count 30-29. Nadal won their most recent clash, however, at Roland-Garros two years ago.
Draw announcement causes another shift in outright odds
The draw announcement for the 2024 Olympics tennis has caused big shifts in the outright betting odds with online bookmakers.
Ahead of the draw, Djokovic was sitting at +250 to win gold. Now, his odds are +300, with second seed Carlos Alcaraz improving to -138.89.
The Spaniard plays world No.275 Hady Habib in his opener, with a potential second-round match against either Cam Norrie or Tallon Griekspoor.
The next few lines of betting have shifted as well, with the odds for Zverev (+500 to +650), Nadal (+800 to +1400), Casper Ruud (+1200 to +1400) and Stefanos Tsitsipas (+2000 to +2800) all lengthening.
These movements come courtesy of opportunities for other outside chances.
Musetti was at +8000 pre-draw but now sits at +4000 to win gold. The 22-year-old will likely need to go through Taylor Fritz to make the quarter-finals, which he is a good chance of doing after beating the American earlier this month at Wimbledon.
Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime has improved from +10000 to +6600 after being drawn in the same 16th as Daniil Medvedev (+2800).
The men’s singles event gets underway on July 27, with the gold medal match played on August 4 in Paris.
You may also like
Join the Betting Planet team!
Are you passionate about sports betting? Sports news writers required TODAY!
Experienced preferred but not essential. (All apps considered).
View Careers at Race MediaTop Online Casinos
Latest Betting News
- Las Vegas Grand Prix 2024 betting preview & free predictions | F1
- EPL Matchweek 12 betting picks & odds | Premier League 2024-25
- La Liga betting tips, prop picks & best odds | Matchday 14
- Australia v India: Visitors drop selection hint for Perth Test
- Yan v Figueiredo betting picks & odds | UFC Fight Night preview
- Steelers @ Browns NFL Thursday preview & top picks | Week 12
- Texans @ Cowboys NFL Monday preview & free picks | Week 11
- ATP Finals 2024: De Minaur bombs out as Fritz reaches semis
- NFL Week 11 Sunday preview & betting picks | November 17, 2024
- UFC 309 main card preview & free betting picks | Nov 16, 2024
Casino Guides
- Safest online casino jurisdictions
- How to guides
- How to win at pokies
- How to play online pokies
- PaysafeCard online casino deposits
- MasterCard Online Casinos
- Online Casinos Accepting POLi
- 32Red Casino Review
- All Slots Casino Review
- Boombet Casino review
- Horse racing games at casinos
- Credit card deposits at online casinos
- Films about blackjack
- Live dealer casinos
- How to play live dealer blackjack party
- Online Blackjack
- Top online casinos 2024
- Online casino deposits
- MasterCard Online Casinos
- Online Casinos Accepting POLi
- PaysafeCard online casino deposits
- Online slots
- Playing Pai Gow Poker on the Internet
- Online keno
- Online poker
- Online poker tournament structures
- Real money online roulette 2024
- Online multi-wheel roulette – what is it?
- How to play online scratch cards in 2024
- Sit & Go online poker tournaments
- Skrill e-wallet deposits at online casinos
- Visa online casino deposits
Sports Betting Guides
Casino Games
Deposits & Withdrawals
Football
Basketball
Top Country Betting sites
- Angola
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Armenia
- Australia
- Azerbaijan
- Bahamas
- Barbados
- Belize
- Brazil
- Canada
- Dominican Republic
- Germany
- Ghana
- Grenada
- India
- Indonesia
- Italy
- Kenya
- Malaysia
- Malta
- Ireland
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Nigeria
- Norway
- Philippines
- Singapore
- South Africa
- Turkey
- Uganda
- Ukraine
- United Kingdom
- Vietnam
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe