Novak Djokovic, holder of 24 men’s Grand Slam singles titles, claimed his first Olympic gold medal on Sunday at Roland Garros. He defeated Carlos Alcaraz of Spain 7-6 (3), 7-6 (2) in a high-stakes final befitting two of the greatest tennis players of their generation.
The match was a grueling battle, with neither player conceding a service break during regular play. The Serbian star now joins the Golden Slam club, a prestigious group of players who have won all four major tournaments – the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and U.S. Open – alongside an Olympic gold medal. He joins Steffi Graf, Andre Agassi, Rafael Nadal, and
With the second set tiebreaker tied 2-2, Djokovic, at 37 years old, unleashed a devastating cross-court winner on Alcaraz’s serve, seizing all the momentum. Alcaraz committed a few unforced errors after that. Following Djokovic’s ferocious match-point winner, he looked up into the stands in disbelief. After shaking hands with Alcaraz, he fell to the Roland Garros clay and knelt down for a moment. Djokovic, overcome with emotion, went back to his bench, put his head in a white towel and cried.
Djokovic has achieved everything imaginable in tennis. But the Olympics have a way of doing that to you. Representing your country will do that to you.
Djokovic has never concealed his desire for an Olympic gold medal, viewing it as a career pinnacle. Now he has it.
“I didn’t know until today that there’s even a better feeling, which is winning a gold for your country,” Djokovic said after his victory. “I couldn’t be prouder and happier. Playing for Serbia has always been my utmost, real pleasure, priority.”
At 4-4 in the first set, with Djokovic serving, Alcaraz, 21, had multiple opportunities to break his opponent. After executing a beautiful drop shot to stave off Alcaraz in that game, Djokovic let out a roar, his most emphatic gesture on the court to that point. Djokovic’s drop shot was on point all day. He won that first-set tiebreaker with surprising ease.
Throughout the match, Alcaraz displayed impressive shot-making. However, he couldn’t solve the puzzle that is arguably the greatest defensive player in tennis history. Djokovic maintained his stamina even after several points that left him scrambling for his water bottle. Djokovic visibly frustrated Alcaraz, who at one point kicked a ball into the net in anger.
The Spanish flags waving and hanging around Roland Garros outnumbered the Serbian ones. However, Djokovic still enjoyed a significant amount of support. “Nole! Nole!” the appreciative fans in the stands chanted. You could hear cheers for Novak outside Court Philippe-Chatrier during the women’s doubles bronze medal match. Djokovic will always have his detractors. But his late-career excellence, and more gracious on-court demeanor in recent years, have gone a long way towards winning over the public who were once skeptical of hisand . Playing in the Olympics—a tournament that many tennis pros skipped—should continue to boost his popularity.
The win comes a few weeks after Alcaraz routed Djokovic in straight sets at the Wimbledon final. “I feel like I’m a different player than I was at Wimbledon,” Djokovic said before the final. “The way I move, the way I’m striking the ball. Not to take anything away from him winning the Wimbledon finals, he was dominating and deservedly a winner, but I feel more confident about myself and my chances in the finals.”
His self-assessment proved to be quite accurate. Djokovic moved and struck with precision. He proved he can still win more major tournaments.
And he has just joined the elite ranks of Olympic champions.
“This is something different,” says Djokovic. “This supersedes everything that I’ve ever felt on the tennis court after winning big trophies. It’s just incredible joy.”