Djokovic Eyes Olympic Gold as Nadal and Alcaraz Pursue Doubles Glory

Novak Djokovic continued his quest for a first Olympic gold medal on Wednesday, advancing comfortably to the quarter-finals after defeating Germany’s Dominik Koepfer 7-5, 6-3. Djokovic, who has previously only earned a bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, is now the first man to reach four Olympic singles quarter-finals.

The 37-year-old Serb, who has claimed 24 Grand Slam titles, expressed his discomfort with the humid conditions, saying, "I'm soaking wet, honestly. It’s a very, very humid day as it was yesterday. I just hope it rains to cool down the temperature a bit and the air." Despite the weather, Djokovic managed to stay focused and is set to face 11th-ranked Stefanos Tsitsipas, a Greek player he defeated in the 2021 French Open final.

Later on Wednesday, Carlos Alcaraz, the reigning French Open and Wimbledon champion, will take on Roman Safiullin, the 66th-ranked Russian who has previously stunned Alcaraz at the Paris Masters in straight sets. Defending Olympic champion Alexander Zverev will also be in action, competing against Australia's Alexei Popyrin, while fourth-seeded Daniil Medvedev faces Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime.

In doubles action, Rafael Nadal, pursuing his third Olympic gold medal, teams up with Alcaraz as they aim for a place in the men’s doubles semi-finals. Nadal, who has previously won the singles title in Beijing (2008) and the doubles in Rio (2016), faces a challenging last-eight tie against the fourth-seeded American duo, Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram.

In the women’s draw, Iga Swiatek, the four-time French Open champion, is on a 24-match winning streak at Roland Garros and looks to reach the semi-finals of the Olympics for the first time. She will face Danielle Collins of the United States. Swiatek’s path was made easier on Tuesday when world number two Coco Gauff was eliminated.

Three-time major winner Angelique Kerber, who is set to retire after the Olympics, faces Chinese world number seven Zheng Qinwen. Zheng advanced to the quarter-finals with a tense win over Emma Navarro, who accused her opponent of being "cut-throat" and "disrespectful."

Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova will compete against Anna Karolina Schmiedlova, who recently upset French Open and Wimbledon runner-up Jasmine Paolini. In another women’s quarter-final, Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk will take on Wimbledon semi-finalist Donna Vekic of Croatia.

Also Read: Paris Olympics: Novak Djokovic Powers Past Rafael Nadal