PARIS– Despite all his Grand Slam championships and other titles, throughout his time as No. 1, Novak Djokovic really wanted a Olympic gold medal for Serbia, the last significant achievement missing from their brilliant CV.
He finally got one at age 37. It doesn’t matter how long it took. Djokovic beat Carlos Alcaraz 7-6 (3), 7-6 (2) in a thrilling and evenly matched men’s tennis singles final at the 2024 Games on Sunday.
“I put my heart, my soul, my body, my family – my everything – on the line to win Olympic gold,” Djokovic said. “Incredible battle. Incredible fight.”
His impressive career already presented a male record 24 Grand Slam trophies and the most weeks spent at the top of the rankings by any man or woman. It also contained a medal from the 2008 Summer Olympics, but it was a bronze – and he made it clear that that was simply not enough.
Until overcoming bronze medalist Lorenzo Musetti of Italy in Friday’s semifinals, Djokovic was 0-3 in that round of the Games. He lost each time to the eventual gold winner: Rafael Nadal in Beijing in 2008, Andy Murray in London in 2012 and Alexander Zverev in Tokyo three years ago.
Before facing Musetti, Djokovic said: “I was like, ‘OK, we’ll get through this.’ So today, before the game, I didn’t feel as nervous as I normally would, because I was guaranteed a medal.”
In Paris, wearing a gray sleeve over it the right knee that required surgery due to a torn meniscus two months ago, Djokovic faced Nadal in the second round and eliminated his long-time rival in straight sets. Now Djokovic is the oldest man to win singles gold in his sport since 1908 – and prevented 21-year-old Spaniard Alcaraz from becoming the youngest.
When the victory was his, when the gold was his, thanks to a last forehand winner, Djokovic turned to his team in the stands – sitting in front of his wife and their two children – put down his racket and knelt on the clay. Emotional as ever, he cried and covered his face, then stood up and picked up a red, white and blue Serbian flag.
After hugs in the stands, Djokovic waved that flag.
“In difficult moments, he gave an extra push,” said silver medalist Alcaraz, through tears.
The final, which lasted 2 hours and 50 minutes despite being decided in just two sets, was a rematch of Wimbledon title match three weeks ago Alcaraz won to go along with his French Open title in June.
Alcaraz also defeated Djokovic in last year’s final at the All England Club, but Djokovic prevailed when they met in the semifinals of the 2023 French Open, the annual clay-court tournament held at Roland Garros, the venue used for tennis during these Olympics.
Sunday’s contest was an exciting clash, featuring one of the best of all time, Djokovic, and the best of the moment in Alcaraz. In fact, it could have been frustrating for Djokovic to find himself once again on the other side of the net, facing a younger, faster version of himself. Perhaps that’s why Djokovic often looked up, gestured and murmured toward his guest box.
Still, he came out on top.
“Honestly, when the last shot went past him, it was the only moment I thought I could win the match,” Djokovic said.
It took long exchanges, excellent hitting and deft shots – Alcaraz’s tended to be more successful, sometimes so good that Djokovic refused even to chase him – and tremendous running, sliding and stretching of the defense in both ends. They served so well that neither broke even once: Djokovic saved eight break points, Alcaraz six.
Most notable, perhaps, was the way both players played cleanly despite the talent of the opponent and the pressure of the occasion.
The only shame, perhaps, for fans – and, naturally, for Alcaraz – was that the Olympics use a best-of-three sets format, rather than the best-of-five in Grand Slam tournaments. Make no mistake, this meeting between Djokovic, number 1, and Alcaraz, number 2, was worthy of a grand final.
Those in the stands became part of the show, repeatedly bursting into choruses of “No-le! No no! or “Car them! Carlos! which often overlapped, creating an operatic fugue. In the second set, as Alcaraz tried to recover, their fans started shouting: “Si, se puede!” (essentially, “Yes, you can!”) while waving their red and yellow flags. Chair umpire Damien Dumusois occasionally reminded people to remain silent during the action.
However, the place also became as silent as a theater between points, enough so that the play was briefly delayed when the thick air of expectation was pierced by the cry of a child.
Both men played to the crowd. When Alcaraz rushed to hit a drop shot and deposit it over the net for the winner, he reveled in the raucous reaction by pointing his right index finger to his ear. When Djokovic hit a crosscourt forehand on the run to cap a 10-shot point and lead 3-2 in the second tiebreaker, he waved both arms above his head to encourage people who were already on their feet and shouting.
The first set alone lasted more than an hour and a half, full of epic plays and epic games. One of them lasted 18 points, spread over more than a dozen fascinating minutes, including five break chances for Alcaraz, before Djokovic managed to hold on to a 5-4 lead. In the tiebreaker, Djokovic was superior in the decisive moments, as he so often does, winning the last four points.
At 3, Alcaraz hit a body serve, but Djokovic slid just enough to the left to hit a crosscourt forehand winner. After two mistakes from Alcaraz, Djokovic scored a winning volley and turned to face his family with his fist raised.
One more set, and another tiebreaker later, and Djokovic finally got the medal he wanted.
When the Serbian national anthem finished playing at the Philippe Chatrier Court, Djokovic picked up the gold and raised it to his lips for a kiss.
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