Novak Djokovic recorded a 6-0 6-1 win over Matthew Ebden in the 2024 Paris Olympic opener on Saturday.
Djokovic, a 24-time Grand Slam champion and top seed in Paris, could potentially face long-time rival Rafael Nadal next.
Spain’s Nadal will be in singles action later in the week against Hungary’s Marton Fucsovics.
Reigning French Open and Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz also made quick progress, beating Lebanese Hady Habib 6-3 6-1.
Serbia’s Djokovic has won almost everything there is in tennis but has never bettered his bronze from Beijing 2008.
He needed just 53 minutes to beat Australia’s Ebden, who was playing his first singles match for two years.
Ebden did, however, win over the crowd with his self-effacing reaction to what was unfolding on court.
And it was exactly as he’d feared: after 30 minutes, he was 6-0 2-0 down and looked to be out of ideas.
He tried everything – including an underarm serve that Djokovic still returned – before jokingly offering his racquet to a group in the crowd to see if they could do any better.
Read also: Alcaraz picks Djokovic over Nadal as tennis GOAT
The biggest cheer of the afternoon came when Ebden finally got on the board for 4-1 in the second set.
Ebden put his shirt over his head and celebrated towards the crowd, who gave him a standing ovation, before an amused Djokovic patted him on the shoulder as they went to their chairs.
Djokovic may have wished for slightly tougher opposition to find his rhythm on the court, but he will welcome a quick victory nonetheless.
No play was possible on the outside courts on Saturday, with Britons Jack Draper, Cameron Norrie, Dan Evans and Katie Boulter having to wait an extra day to begin their singles campaigns.
