Serbia’s Novak Djokovic blows a kiss after defeating Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz within the males’s singles tennis remaining on the Roland Garros stadium throughout the Paris Olympics 2024, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photograph/Andy Wong)
PARIS — Novak Djokovic gained his first Olympic gold medal by beating Carlos Alcaraz 7-6 (3), 7-6 (2) in an enthralling males’s tennis singles remaining Sunday, giving the 37-year-old from Serbia the final vital accomplishment lacking from his glittering resume.
Djokovic’s spectacular profession already featured a males’s-record 24 Grand Slam titles and essentially the most weeks spent at No. 1 within the rankings by any man or lady. It additionally already contained a Summer time Olympics medal, from 2008, nevertheless it was a bronze — and he has made clear that merely was not ample.
Till he received previous bronze medalist Lorenzo Musetti of Italy within the semifinals Friday, Djokovic was 0-3 in that spherical on the Video games. He misplaced to the eventual gold winner every time: Rafael Nadal at Beijing in 2008, Andy Murray at London in 2012, and Alexander Zverev in Tokyo three years in the past.
READ: Djokovic, Alcaraz to conflict in Paris Olympics gold medal showdown
In Paris, carrying a grey sleeve over the precise knee that required surgical procedure for a torn meniscus two months in the past, Djokovic confronted Nadal within the second spherical and eradicated his longtime rival in straight units. Now Djokovic is the oldest man to win the singles gold in his sport since 1908 — and prevented Spain’s Alcaraz, who’s 21, from turning into the youngest.
When the victory was his, when the gold was his, thanks to 1 final forehand winner, Djokovic turned towards his workforce within the stands — sitting in entrance of his spouse and their two kids — and dropped his racket as he knelt on the clay. As emotional as ever, he cried and lined his face, then rose and grabbed a red-white-and-blue Serbian flag. After hugs within the stands, Djokovic waved that flag. Alcaraz wept afterward, too.
The ultimate, which lasted 2 hours, 50 minutes regardless of being determined in solely two units, was a rematch of the Wimbledon title match three weeks in the past that Alcaraz gained to observe up his French Open title in June.
READ: Paris Olympics: ‘Relieved’ Djokovic races previous Rafael Nadal
Alcaraz additionally defeated Djokovic in final 12 months’s remaining on the All England Membership, however Djokovic gained after they met within the semifinals of the 2023 French Open, the annual clay-court match held at Roland Garros, the positioning used for tennis throughout the Paris Olympics.
Sunday’s contest was an enthralling matchup, that includes among the finest to ever do it in Djokovic, and the most effective in the intervening time in Alcaraz. Certainly, might have been irritating for Djokovic to seek out himself as soon as once more throughout the web from a youthful, speedier model of himself. Possibly that’s why Djokovic ceaselessly appeared up and gesticulated and muttered towards his visitor field.
Nonetheless, he got here out on high.
Serbia’s Novak Djokovic, proper, hugs Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz after the boys’s singles tennis remaining on the Roland Garros stadium throughout the Paris Olympics 2024, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photograph/Manu Fernandez)
It required lengthy exchanges full of excellent ball-striking on the baseline, deft drop photographs — Alcaraz’s tended to be extra profitable, generally so good Djokovic declined to even give chase — and large sprinting, sliding, stretching protection at each ends. They served so effectively that neither received damaged even as soon as: Djokovic saved eight break factors, Alcaraz six.
Most outstanding, maybe, was how cleanly each males performed, regardless of the expertise of the opposition and stress of the event. Unforced errors had been uncommon.
The one disgrace, maybe, for the followers — and, naturally, the loser — was that the Olympics makes use of a best-of-three-set format, as an alternative of the best-of-five at Grand Slam tournaments. Make no mistake, this encounter between the No. 1-seeded Djokovic and No. 2-seeded Alcaraz was worthy of a serious remaining, and nobody lucky sufficient to carry a ticket might complain about not getting their cash’s price.
READ: Nadal, Alcaraz cautious on Paris Olympics doubles medal possibilities
These within the stands grew to become a part of the present, repeatedly breaking out into choruses of “No-le! No-le!” or “Automotive-los! Automotive-los!” that always overlapped, creating an operatic fugue. Within the second set, as Alcaraz tried to mount a comeback, his supporters started chanting, “Si, se puede!” (basically, “Sure, you possibly can!”) whereas shaking their red-and-yellow flags. Chair umpire Damien Dumusois often reminded of us to stay silent throughout the motion.
But it additionally grew to become as quiet as a theater between factors, sufficient in order that play was delayed briefly within the first set when the air thick with anticipation was pierced by a younger little one’s crying.
Each males performed to the group. When Alcaraz raced to achieve one drop shot and deposit it over the web for a winner, he basked within the raucous response by pointing his proper index finger to his ear. When Djokovic laced a cross-court forehand winner on the run to cap a 10-shot level to guide 3-2 within the second tiebreaker, he waved each arms overhead to encourage of us who already had been on their toes, screaming.
The primary set alone lasted greater than 1 1/2 hours, chock filled with epic photographs and epic video games. One lasted 18 factors unfold over greater than a dozen mesmerizing minutes, together with 5 break possibilities for Alcaraz, earlier than Djokovic managed to carry for a 5-4 lead. Within the tiebreaker, Djokovic was superior in crunch time, as he so usually is, taking the final 4 factors.
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At 3-all, Alcaraz delivered a physique serve, however Djokovic slid simply sufficient to his left to smack a cross-court forehand return winner. After two errors by Alcaraz, Djokovic produced a volley winner and turned to face his household with a fist held excessive.
Observe Inquirer Sports activities’ particular protection of the Paris Olympics 2024.