Djokovic eases through Paris 2024 opener, Ebden signs off from singles
In his latest pursuit of Olympic singles gold, Novak Djokovic could hardly have wished for a more favourable opening opponent at the Paris 2024 Olympic Tennis Event.
Matt Ebden may be a former world No. 39 but the Australian is a doubles devotee these days (a hugely successful one at that) and hadn’t played a competitive singles match in almost two years before stepping out on Philippe Chatrier on Saturday afternoon.
Throw in the fact that the 36-year-old’s last singles win on clay came over seven years ago – against Argentine Agustin Velotti in Ecuador in February 2017 – and this was, indeed, a mission even the likes of Tom Cruise couldn’t make possible.
Not that it was ever really about winning.
"I just had to make a joke out of it really," said doubles world No. 3 Ebden, who entered the singles as an alternate following Holger Rune’s late withdrawal.
"I wasn't coming here to play singles but my wife said also I've never officially retired from singles... I was lucky in my singles career. I played against Federer, Nadal, Murray and played in all the big center courts around the world but I never played Chatrier and never played Novak, so some miracle happened and I got to play Novak on Chatrier.
"[It was] the perfect way to retire my singles officially."
To his credit, Ebden showed flashes of fine – and fun – singles play, choosing drop shots, variation and at one point an underarm serve, as his core tactic. It takes flawless execution, more than just the idea, of course, to unsettle the 24-time Grand Slam champion, and Ebden, like everyone else, is no Carlos Alcaraz.
Djokovic won 6-0 6-1 in under an hour for his 14th Olympic singles match-win - the most by a man at the Games since tennis' return to the Games in 1988, ahead of Roger Federer, who won 13, and two-time singles gold-medallist Andy Murray on 12.
Ebden, though, could still relish his moment. The deafening roar that reverberated under the Philippe Chatrier roof when he held serve in the fifth game of the second set and lifted his shirt over his head, earning him a playful pat from Djokovic at the changeover, was something to savour.
The Australian's priorities this week are the men’s doubles alongside John Peers (a mixed doubles bronze medallist with Ash Barty at Tokyo 2020) and mixed with Ellen Perez. In both, he has genuine medal ambitions.
He also hopes Djokovic can achieve his own this week at Paris 2024.
"I told him good luck. I hope he gets it," said Ebden. "I know he's going for Olympic gold. And I think it would probably be deserved in his career. Like he's got everything and that will be the last one thing. So I hope he gets it."
The opening contest might have been a tricky barometer with which to gauge Djokovic's form and fitness but the Serb - who underwent surgery on his knee after his withdrawal from Roland Garros in June - says he is in a good place following questions around his physical state during Wimbledon.
"I feel very good," he said. "I feel more ready now than I was before Wimbledon. I really do feel better prepared. Olympics from the beginning of the year was one of the highest goals and objectives and priorities for this year.
"Let's see how it goes."