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Tennis is never lacking emotion. On Sunday at Rio we got more proof of that as men’s singles competition took center stage at the close of a frenetic day. After Juan Martin del Potro’s 7-6(4), 7-6(2) victory over world No. 1 Novak Djokovic fans got to see just how much a first-round Olympic match meant to these two tennis thoroughbreds. The two players met at net for a heartfelt--and salty-teared--exchange after Del Potro sealed the victory:

I am dead. https://t.co/d0wv751r2Z

— Ricky Dimon (@Dimonator) August 8, 2016

Moments later, Djokovic, who has yet to claim the Olympic Gold medal, left the court in tears.

oh my god. There's nothing like the Olympics. https://t.co/g1ZOz8R9iR

— Ricky Dimon (@Dimonator) August 8, 2016

The lead-up to the Olympic Games has focused on the peripherals—top-name pullouts, the lack of ranking points on offer, Zika virus—but on Sunday night in Rio the tennis felt as important as it could ever feel at any Grand Slam. Hearts were on the line, emotions were overflowing, and the crowd was absolutely gonzo, shattering the notion that Olympic tennis doesn’t matter as much as the majors with one epic match.