Rafael Nadal set up a highly anticipated clash with Novak Djokovic at the Paris Olympics after a hard-fought victory over Marton Fucsovics in the first round on Sunday. Nadal, who had been uncertain about his participation in the singles event due to a thigh injury, battled through to win 6-1, 4-6, 6-4.

Nadal, aged 38, started strong, dominating the first set on Court Philippe Chatrier, where he has previously won 14 French Open titles. However, Fucsovics, the Hungarian world number 83, raised his game and forced a third set. Despite Fucsovics holding three break points for a 3-1 lead in the decider, Nadal managed to withstand the challenge, breaking back in the following game and eventually securing victory after two hours and 30 minutes.

Nadal, a gold medalist in singles at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and in doubles at Rio 2016, is competing in only his seventh tournament of 2024. He recently reached the final in Bastad but faced a setback in training on Wednesday, putting his Olympic participation at risk. Nadal, who teamed up with Carlos Alcaraz in the doubles on Saturday and won their first-round match in straight sets, had his right thigh heavily bandaged during his singles match.