From apologizing to Novak Djokovic for 1R thrashing to winning gold: Matthew Ebden's incredible Paris Olympics journey
The contrast between Matthew Ebden's singles and doubles careers couldn't be starker. The Australian, who reached a career-high ranking of world No. 39 in singles in 2018, is no longer ranked as a singles player.
However, he is ranked third in the world as a doubles player and solidified his dominance by securing the gold medal at the 2024 Olympics alongside partner John Peers.
Matthew Ebden had a mismatch with Novak Djokovic in the first round
It surprised a lot of people when Ebden was pitted against Djokovic in the first round of singles. The 36-year-old looked visibly out of sorts as a singles player, with his groundstrokes lacking both precision and power.
He managed to secure only one game against Djokovic in the entire match, which the latter won effortlessly. The Serb was not amused himself, and this is what he had to say about the draw:
"It's not logical for me that you have someone withdraws from singles and you call up a doubles player to play singles," "I don't think it's a good image for the sport, to be honest. There are lots of singles players that had plenty of time to get here and could have been called to come."
Ebden himself apologized to Djokovic post-match for failing to put up a fight. It was not a pleasant experience for either of the players.
Ebden turns the tide with his doubles prowess
However, a week later, Ebden's fortunes dramatically changed. He and partner John Peers clinched the gold medal, defeating Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram 6-7(6-8), 7-6(7-1), 10-8 to bring glory to Australia. Prior to the final, they did not lose a single set in the competition.
It has turned out to be a week that Ebden is never going to forget. The 36-year-old Australian, who has already won a couple of Grand Slam doubles, now has an Olympic gold on his resume. His national hero status eclipses the singles disappointment from a week ago.
Given his exceptional doubles career. One sincerely hopes Ebden can extend his doubles career by a year or two before retiring.