By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Friday August 2, 2024
Novak Djokovic defeated Lorenzo Musetti to take his place next to Carlos Alcaraz in the Olympic gold medal match.
Photo Source: Getty
Novak Djokovic is one win from joining tennis’ prestigious Golden Slam club.
The 24-time major champion battled past Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti in Olympic semifinal action in Paris today, notching a 6-4, 6-2 victory to book a spot in the gold medal match alongside Carlos Alcaraz.
“I’ve been waiting for this for almost 20 years,” Djokovic said. “I played four Olympic games, this is my fifth, and I never passed the semifinals. I managed to overcome this big hurdle.”
37-year-old Djokovic seeks to join Steffi Graf, Andre Agassi, Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams as one of five players to have won all four majors and an Olympic gold medal in singles.
Djokovic had his share of difficulties with Musetti on Friday, but battled back from a break down twice in the second set to reach the gold medal match for the first time. The Serbian legend had lost his three previous Olympic semifinals but he made sure not to let his opportunity slip against the 22-year-old Italian.
“I played against a player who is in great form and one who really came out firing from both wings,” he said. “I just tried to maintain the focus and do what I have to do.”
Djokovic broke open a tight first set with a break in the final game, taking it 6-4.
In the second set he was broken in his first and second service games, but responded in kind, and ended up reeling off the final five games as Musetti lost the plot.
With his victory, Djokovic becomes the third player aged 30 or older to reach an Olympic singles final, and he removes some of the worry that surfaced on Thursday when he reinjured his surgically repaired right knee during his win over Stefanos Tsitsipas.
Djokovic admitted that he was concerned about the issue last night, but he emerged looking fit and energetic on Friday as he earned his seventh win in eight tries against the 16th-ranked Musetti.
“I was very nervous,” he admitted. “Just overall and before the match – I was so, so nervous, but I’m so glad to overcome this hurdle and secure the medal for my country.”
Djokovic has yet to drop a set at the Olympics, but he’ll have his hands full with Alcaraz, the winner of the last two major titles at Roland-Garros and Wimbledon, which featured a blowout of Djokovic in the Wimbledon final.
Alcaraz, who defeated Felix Auger-Aliassime on Friday, 6-1, 6-1, has yet to drop a set either in Paris. He is bidding to become the youngest Olympic singles gold medal winner since tennis returned to the Olympic Games in 1988.
Either way it turns out, history will be made on Sunday. Djokovic is the oldest player to reach an Olympic men’s singles final; Alcaraz is the youngest.
Djokovic has split six previous meetings with Alcaraz, but it was the Spaniard who dominated their only encounter in 2024, winning 6-2, 6-2, 7-6(4) in the Wimbledon final last month.
“I achieved a lot of great things in this sport,” Djokovic said. “But never finals of Olympic games. I am super thrilled and I hope I brought the joy to Serbian fans and people around the world.”