Paris, Aug 1: Novak Djokovic remains on track for his first Olympic gold medal after a record-breaking performance in Paris. The Serbian superstar defeated Germany’s Dominik Koepfer 7-5, 6-3 on Wednesday to become the first man to reach four Olympic singles quarter-finals.
Djokovic, who has won three of his 24 Grand Slam titles on the clay courts of Roland Garros, was rarely troubled by the 70th-ranked Koepfer. The 37-year-old Serb has previously only won a bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Reflecting on the humid conditions, Djokovic said, “I’m soaking wet, honestly. It’s a very, very humid day as it was yesterday. I just hope it rains so it cools down the temperature a bit and the air. But it is what it is. You have to kind of accept and embrace the conditions and it’s the same for you and your opponents so you have to try to make the best out of it.”
Next, Djokovic will face Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas, whom he defeated in the 2021 French Open final.
Meanwhile, Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz are also vying for Olympic glory in the doubles competition. The Spanish duo aims for a place in the men’s doubles semi-finals and will face the fourth-seeded American pair of Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram. Nadal, a 14-time French Open singles champion, is chasing his third Olympic gold medal, having won the singles title in 2008 and the doubles in 2016.
French Open and Wimbledon champion Alcaraz, playing in the singles competition, will face Roman Safiullin of Russia later on Wednesday. Safiullin, ranked 66th, previously defeated Alcaraz at the Paris Masters in 2023. Defending champion Alexander Zverev will play Australia’s Alexei Popyrin, while fourth-seeded Daniil Medvedev faces Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime.
In the women’s competition, Iga Swiatek is aiming for her 25th consecutive win at Roland Garros. The four-time French Open champion will play Danielle Collins of the United States in the semi-finals. Swiatek’s path to gold was eased by the elimination of world number two and US Open champion Coco Gauff.
Three-time major winner Angelique Kerber, who will retire after the Olympics, faces China’s Zheng Qinwen. Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova will compete against Anna Karolina Schmiedlova, who previously defeated French Open and Wimbledon runner-up Jasmine Paolini. In the remaining women’s quarter-final, Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk will play against Wimbledon semi-finalist Donna Vekic of Croatia.