By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Sunday, August 4, 2024
Novak Djokovic out-dueled Carlos Alcaraz 7-6(3), 7-6(2) becoming the oldest Olympic tennis gold-medal champion and completing the career Golden Slam.
Photo credit: Carl De Souza/AFP/Getty
Eyes riveted on the ball, Novak Djokovic’s career-long dream—and his country’s hopes–-came into full focus.
Meeting the moment, Djokovic fired the flash point forehand to realize his golden dream.
More: Novak Goes Golden, Social Media Reacts
A spirited Djokovic out-dueled Carlos Alcaraz 7-6(3), 7-6(2) in an entertaining Olympic final to capture his first gold medal and complete the career Golden Slam in stirring style.
Thrusting his arms toward the sky, an emotional Djokovic sat in his court-side seat sobbing into his towel after completing his career-long quest of capturing gold for Serbia with one of the most passionate performances of his life.
The 37-year-old Serbian superstar made history as the oldest Olympic tennis gold-medal champion since tennis returned to the Games at the 1988 Seoul Olympics.
“I’m overwhelmed with everything I’m feeling right now,” Djokovic told NBC’s Britney Eurton. “Millions of different emotions, of course positive. Too proud, too happy, thrilled with the possibility to fight for the gold and to win the gold for the first time in my career for my country. “Arguably, the biggest success I ever had.
"Of course, I’ve won everything there is to win probably in my individual career. But winning Davis Cup and particularly winning golden medal at the Olympic Games at age 37 is unprecedented.”
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Whether you root for Djokovic or not, if this man hasn’t blown your mind with his brilliance and commitment to the cause, then you need to have your head examined at least your pulse checked.
Consider the degree of difficulty Djokovic overcame to land this historic gold medal for Serbia.
Playing his fifth, and likely last, Olympic Games and his first gold-medal match nearly two months to the day after undergoing surgery in Paris to repair a torn medial meniscus in his right knee and facing his Wimbledon conqueror 16 years his junior, Djokovic delivered his most dynamic tennis of the year winning an Olympic match for the ages to solidify his GOAT status.
It is Djokovic’s 99th career championship and makes him just the fifth champion in history to complete the career Golden Slam. Djokovic joins Steffi Graf, the only player to ever complete the calendar Golden Slam in 1988, her husband Andre Agassi (1999), Rafael Nadal (2010) and Serena Williams (2012) in the ultra-exclusive Golden Career Slam club. Twenty-four of Djokovic's 99 career championships are Grand Slam crowns. Add his gold medal and one-quarter of Djokovic titles have come on the game's greatest stages and most prestigious tournaments.
Crackling drives, dripping drop shots, acrobatic retrievals and enough vivid creativity to warrant its own wing in the Louvre, this match had just about everything except a service break. The pair saved a combined 14 break points.
“We almost played three hours for two sets. It was an incredible battle, incredible fight,” said Djokovic. “When the last shot went past him, that was the only moment I actually thought I could win the match. I mean I believed that I could win, but to actually win it, because he keeps on coming back.
“He keeps on asking me to play my best tennis. I don’t know what to say. I’m still in shock, honestly. I put my heart, my soul, my body, my family, my everything on the line to win Olympic gold at age 37. I finally did it.”
It’s a heart-breaking defeat for Alcaraz, who failed to convert any of his eight break-point chances, including seeing Djokovic deny five break points in a massive 14-minute stand to hold for 5-4. You can argue Alcaraz should have altered his return position, to at least give the 24-time Grand Slam champion a different look, but credit Djokovic for producing some of his boldest shot-making under the most extreme pressure.
On this day, three weeks after Alcaraz dominated Djokovic for two sets then withstood a late rally charging to his second straight Wimbledon championship with a 6-2, 6-2, 7-6(4) triumph in a commanding SW19 final on grass, the Spanish star conceded the GOAT was just too “great.”
“Well it is painful,” Alcaraz told NBC’s Britney Eurton afterward. “It is painful to lose the way I lost this match. I had opportunities. I had chances… I couldn’t take it.
“I mean Novak, he’s playing great. He deserved this. In the tough moments, in the difficult moments, he increased his level. He played unbelievable shots, unbelievable game, so I’m disappointed.
“But I’m gonna leave the court with the head really, really high. I gave everything I had. Fighting for Spain it was everything to me so I’m proud of the way I played today.”
In the opening game, fans forged their own rally with dueling chants of “Nole!” and “Carlos!” reverberating around Court Philippe Chatrier.
Eleven minutes into the match, Alcaraz saved the first break point deftly dipping a drop shot winner. Alcaraz withstood a challenging hold to level after two games.
A sliding Alcaraz was on full defense when he forced Djokovic to play his most suspect shot—the smash—that the top seed sent long to fall into a love-30 hole. Djokovic responded with four points in a row for 2-1.
Pulverizing a forehand return down the line brought Djokovic triple break point.
Staging an exceptional escape act, Alcaras fired a couple of forehand winners, an ace off the T and a drop volley winner in a hard-fought hold for 2-all.
When Djokovic plastered a leaping forehand into the middle of the net, Alcaraz had his second break point of the fifth game. Sharp serving helped Djokovic subdue stress, saving three break points in all holding for 3-2.
Even after eight games, Djokovic created his own hurdles missing a forehand long and double-faulting his way into another love-30 deficit. Racing behind the baseline, Alcaraz made two terrific digs then Djokovic spun a forehand approach off the tape that landed wide to face another break point.
The top seed was chuckling after two more tremendous gets from the speedy 21-year-old that Djokovic repelled with a forehand volley saving break point. The Grand Slam king saved a third break point with a serve-and-volley.
An unrelenting Alcaraz kept coming cracking a backhand strike down the line for a fifth break point in the ninth game. Djokovic answered with a slick forehand drop volley as the game extended past 11 minutes. Ultimately, Djokovic dug in and closed a 14-minute hold for 5-4.
By then Djokovic denied all eight break points he faced and was wearing the determined expression of a man unwilling to give an inch of court.
Banging a backhand into the Spaniard’s body, Djokovic drew netted forehand volley for a set point in the 12th game. Alcaraz wiped it away with the body serve and forehand winner. Alcaraz held firm saving set point to force the tiebreaker.
No man could gain separation through the first six points of the tiebreaker.
Even at 3-all, Djokovic amped up his aggression. Stepping inside the baseline, the 37-year-old Serbian scalded a short angle forehand return winner for the mini break and a 4-3 lead.
A sharp wide serve gave Djokovic three set points. He needed only one.
Running down a drop shot Djokovic shoveled back a reply then made a fantastic full-stretch forehand drop volley winner snatching a one-set lead after 93 minutes of fierce play. A defiant Djokovic saved all eight break points he faced, several with bold shot-making, in the set.
Increasing his first-serve percentage as the match progressed, Djokovic held at 15 to level the second set at 3-all.
Alcaraz was serving at 4-all deuce when one of the longest rallies of the match spike as the Spaniard drop-shotted the Serbian. Djokovic raced up and shoveled back a reply only to see Alcaraz slide a winner down the line. Following a forehand forward, Alcaraz snapped a smash holding for 5-4.
The Wimbledon winner wasn’t adjusting his deep return positioning and Djokovic continued his superb serving holding at love to force the second-set tiebreaker.
Alcaraz owns one of the biggest forehands in the game, but Djokovicd detonated some of his most explosive forehands of the tournament in the tiebreaker to cross the finish line with a flourish.
An insanely pulsating crosscourt rally saw a sprinting Djokovic smoke a sizzling forehand winner leaving Alcaraz waving at air and inciting an eruption from the crowd as Djokovic scored the mini break for 3-2.
That seismic shot sparked the finish. Djokovic slammed a smash for 4-2 then exploited two straight Alcaraz netted errors for gold-medal points.
Exhaling with exuberance, Djokovic fired that forehand winner down the line closing a masterful two hour, 51-minute battle that will likely be remembered by all who saw it.
As Djokovic absorbed this poignant and powerful moment, Alcaraz soaked it all in too, vowing someday he will have his gold-medal moment.
“Honestly I always want to win that’s for sure,” Alcaraz said. “Obviously, taking a silver medal I have to be really, really proud. I’m building a great career, I guess, I hope it’s gonna keep going.
“Obviously, I’m really proud to be in this position. I’m really proud to bring a medal to Spain," Alcaraz told NBC's Britney Eurton. "I’m pretty sure my moment will come. I will bring the gold to Spain one day.
"I’m gonna wait for that moment, I’m gonna work for that moment. Now I have to enjoy lifting the silver is pretty amazing as well."
"This is how legends are made” blared from the Court Chatrier sound system as Djokovic climbed up to his support box, embraced daughter Tara and his family and proudly raised the Serbian flag as the crowd roared.
Driven by this dream chase, Djokovic stood atop the podium wearing the gold medal around his neck and the satisfied smile of a man who completed the career mission and could finally recognize his achievement.
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“It is [complete]. I’m telling myself always that I’m enough because I can be very self critical,” Djokovic told NBC’s Britney Eurton. “That’s one of the biggest internal battles that I keep fighting with myself: That I don’t feel I’ve done enough that I haven’t been enough in my life on the court and off the court.
“So it’s a big lesson for me. I’m super grateful for the blessing to win a gold medal for my country, to complete the Golden Slam, to complete all the records.”