Novak Djokovic ends wait for historic Olympic gold with victory in Paris 2024 classic over Carlos Alcaraz
Updated 04/08/2024 at 23:55 GMT+1
Novak Djokovic has finally got an elusive Olympic gold medal after winning a match for the ages against Carlos Alcaraz, becoming only the fifth player ever to win a career Golden Slam. The 37-year-old Serbian reversed the result from the Wimbledon final earlier this month, beating the 21-year-old Spaniard in straight sets 7-6(3) 7-6(2) in an amazing match on Roland Garros' Court Philippe-Chatrier.
Watch as Djokovic breaks down with emotion as he embraces family after winning Olympic gold
Video credit: TNT Sports
Novak Djovokic has won a match for the ages against Carlos Alcaraz in the final of the men's tennis, ending the wait for an elusive gold medal to complete a career golden slam.
The veteran overcame the young pretender 7-6(3) 7-6(2) in a gripping final on Roland Garros' Court Philippe-Chatrier in a match decided by fine margins with no broken serves in either set.
The victory is the icing on an illustrious career that has seen the Serbian win 26 Grand slams, and become only the fifth player in history to win all four Grand Slams and Olympic gold.
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‘Wow!’ - Djokovic produces masterful winner to wrestle control of Alcaraz match at crucial point
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In a rematch of the Wimbledon final last month, 37-year-old Djokovic faced 21-year-old Alcaraz, the oldest player ever to feature in the Olympic tennis final against the youngest.
Alcaraz faced a pointless opening game as Djokovic rallied to 40-0 on the serve, but the Spaniard executed an excellent drop shot at the net to get on the board.
He took Djokovic to 40-30, but in a far more positive opener than that of the Wimbledon final for the Serbian - which lasted 14 minutes - he closed out the game with a searing serve to draw first blood.
Djokovic earned the match’s first break point on Alcaraz’s opening serve, but the Wimbledon champion produced another world-class drop shot to spark a battle on deuce before getting over the line to level.
The third game went with the serve again after a little bit of help for Djokovic, who fought from 30-0 down to move 2-1 ahead when Alcaraz went well long.
It looked as though the first break would come in the fourth game when Djokovic punished some sloppiness from Alcaraz to muster up three break points, but the four-time major winner extraordinarily swatted away all three to narrowly hold.
Just as significantly, Djokovic held to lead 3-2 after a staggering opening five games between the first and second seeds, leaving those inside Court Philippe-Chatrier enthralled at the showpiece occasion.
The action settled down a little after two blockbuster games, as Alcaraz sealed a straightforward hold before Djokovic nailed the first love hold of the match.
Alcaraz replied with a love hold of his own to once again level proceedings, but the drama quickly returned for a nail-biting 15-minute game.
Djokovic denied five separate break points as Alcaraz searched desperately for the first break of the match.
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Watch comical moment Djokovic and Alcaraz have to halt final for crying baby
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Alcaraz had the chance to turn the tide in the opener, but Djokovic held firm to withstand the pressure and secure the vital hold at the second time of asking.
The pair quickly dispatched their next service games to take the first set to a tiebreak with nothing able to separate them.
The early points went with serve and Alcaraz was the first to blink at 3-3, unable to respond to a ferocious return from Djokovic that clipped the tramline. The 26-time Grand Slam champion raced to 6-3, earning himself three set points, but only needing one to put one hand on his first ever Olympic gold medal.
Alcaraz raced to 40-0 in the first game after the break, but Djokovic was getting a foothold in the Spaniard’s service game, forcing it to deuce before the 21-year-old fought back to keep the match break-free.
Djokovic appeared to have the edge though. Both continued to hold their service games, but the Serbian was wrapping his up with ease while picking up points on the Spaniard’s - putting Alcaraz under pressure.
As the set progressed, the skill on display just kept ratcheting up. Most points were requiring breathless rallies to settle, but neither were able to land a decisive blow to break.
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'Biggest achievement in my career' - Djokovic basks in gold medal after beating Alcaraz
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Like the first set, nothing could separate them - the match entering its second tiebreak.
Djokovic broke immediately, fizzing a cross-court forehand that the Spaniard could do nothing about.
After the Serbian won an amazing rally to take it 2-0, Alcaraz finally broke Djokovic’s serve for the first time of the match before holding his serve to level 2-2.
But the three-time French Open champion immediately broke back, rushing to a 5-2 lead.
Breaking again, he was left with four championship points. And the greatest of all time wasn’t going to lose from here.
Hitting the winning forehand, the Serbian fell to his knees on the clay court of Roland Garros.
After a career where he has won everything there is to, he has now completed a feat that only Steffi Graff, Rafael Nadal, Andre Agassi and Serena Williams has managed - the elusive career golden slam.
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'I felt I let all Spanish people down' - Alcaraz on his tears after losing final to Djokovic
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Italy crowned champions in women's doubles
The final between Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz was just one of three medal matches to take to Roland Garros' Court Philippe-Chatrier on the last day of the tennis competition at Paris 2024.
The first contest saw Czechia's Karolina Muchova/Linda Noskova face Spain's Cristina Bucsa/Sara Sorribes Tormo for women's doubles bronze medal - the Spanish eighth seeds cruising the victory 6-2 6-2 in just 1' 13".
And after Djokovic had dispatched Alcaraz, it was time for the last match on the iconic clay courts of the Parisian venue - the women's doubles gold medal match, which saw Italy's French Open finalists Sara Errani/Jasmine Paolini take on the individual neutral athletes Mirra Andreeva/Diana Shnaider.
- Novak Djokovic put 'everything on the line' for Olympic gold after 'incredible battle' with Carlos Alcaraz at Paris 2024
- Rafael Nadal thanks Carlos Alcaraz for 'incredible week' after Spaniard loses to Novak Djokovic in Paris Olympics final
The Russians - competing as independent athletes - intially seized the initiative, breaking their third-seed opponents twice to take the first set 6-2 in 36 minutes. But the momentum shifted at the start of the second, the Italian pair breaking straight away and Andreeva/Shnaider only able to hold one service game in the whole set, taking the match to a tiebreak third.
After remaining fairly balanced, the Italians surged ahead to lead 7-3, and were able to simply hold to take the match, and the gold medal 2-6 6-1 10-7
discovery+ is the streaming home of the Olympic Games, and the only place you can watch every moment of Paris 2024 this summer.
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