Novak Djokovic gained revenge on Carlos Alcaraz in a pulsating men's singles final to claim his first Olympic gold medal

Novak Djokovic emerged victorious over Carlos Alcaraz in a thrilling Olympic final on Sunday, securing his first Olympic title and etching his name in history as one of only five athletes to achieve a career Golden Slam.

The seasoned Serbian athlete, participating in his fifth Olympic Games, demonstrated remarkable resilience and skill as he triumphed with a score of 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (7/2) at the prestigious Roland Garros venue. This triumph adds the coveted Olympic gold medal to his impressive collection of 24 Grand Slam titles.

By accomplishing this remarkable feat, Djokovic joins an elite group of tennis legends, including Mr. Andre Agassi, Rafael Nadal, Steffi Graf, and the esteemed Serena Williams, who have achieved the distinction of winning all four Grand Slam tournaments and Olympic singles gold.

Furthermore, Djokovic’s triumph establishes him as the oldest singles champion since tennis’s reintroduction to the Olympic Games in 1988. This victory also thwarts Mr. Alcaraz’s aspirations of adding Olympic gold to his already impressive collection of French Open and Wimbledon titles, which he secured earlier this summer.

Djokovic celebrated his victory by raising the Serbian flag on the court and then proceeded to the players’ box to embrace his family.

“We almost played three hours, the final shot was the only moment when I was sure I could win the match,” said Djokovic, who had lost heavily to Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final last month.

‘Finally I did it’

“I put my body, my family on the line to win gold and finally I did it.”

Alcaraz displayed visible distress and shed tears while attempting to participate in a televised interview.

“Three hours, a big battle with tough moments,” said the 21-year-old after a final in which neither player dropped serve. “It’s very painful to lose.”

Novak Djokovic secured a break point in the second game of the first set and three more in the fourth, all of which were saved by his opponent from Spain. Then, Djokovic showcased his renowned resilience, fending off three break points in the fifth game and another five in a lengthy ninth game.

In an intense match, Carlos Alcaraz saved a set point in the 12th game, but Djokovic dominated the tiebreak to win the first set after an exciting 93 minutes on Court Philippe Chatrier. The second set continued with impressive shot-making and strong defense, with Alcaraz saving the 14th break point in the third game.

Once again, the set was decided by a tie-break, and Djokovic made history by securing victory after two hours and 50 minutes. Lorenzo Musetti defeated Felix Auger-Aliassime in three sets on Saturday to win the bronze medal, marking Italy's first men's tennis medal in a century.

Later on Sunday, Russian athletes have the opportunity to win their first gold medal of the Games when Mirra Andreeva and Diana Shnaider face the Italian team of Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini in the women's doubles.

Due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russian competitors are participating in the Olympics as neutrals. If Andreeva and Shnaider win the gold medal, their achievement will not be officially recognized in the medals table, and the Russian flag and national anthem will be prohibited during the podium ceremony.

Cristina Bucsa and Sara Sorribes Tormo, the Spanish eighth seeds, defeated the Czech duo of Karolina Muchova and Linda Noskova 6-2, 6-2 in the bronze medal match.