Novak Djokovic finally wins Olympic tennis gold, Carlos Alcaraz takes silver in thrilling straight sets

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Novak Djokovic finally wins Olympic tennis gold, Carlos Alcaraz takes silver in thrilling straight sets

Novak Djokovic finally completed his career Golden Slam. He beat Carlos Alcaraz 7-6(3), 7-6(2) in a exciting and competitive match it was hotly contested from start to finish. He now has the Olympic gold medal he has sought throughout his 20-year career.

Alcaraz, 21 and competing in his first Olympics, fought hard, but he was not as disciplined as the much more experienced Djokovic. As the match wore on and Alcaraz couldn’t breathe between himself and Djokovic, he began to get frustrated, talking (and sometimes yelling at) each other between points. That’s always a wake-up call for Alcaraz, who is at his best when he’s smiling and enjoying the game. But he couldn’t control this one, and Djokovic, playing his best tennis since 2023, refused to give in.

Until now, Djokovic had not won any titles this season. And for the first time in 14 years, the 37-year-old had not won any of the first three Grand Slams of the year. But he showed courage and patience, and combined with Alcaraz’s athleticism and showmanship, it was a match for the ages. Alcaraz can be proud of his silver medal and the way he played against Djokovic, who seemed to be rediscovering his old magic. But for Djokovic, this gold medal finally filled the only gaping hole in his long, trophy-studded resume.

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  • Novak Djokovic isn’t known for being the most emotional guy, so watching his reaction after winning an Olympic gold medal should tell you how much it means to him. After getting up from the clay, he continued to cry in his courtside chair. He kept crying and screaming with excitement as he was led into the stands to meet his ecstatic team.

    Once up there, he grabbed his daughter (who was adorably holding a sign supporting her father the entire game) while his wife, son, and the entire team surrounded him in a massive hug.

  • Djokovic’s emotions boil over after realizing his career dream

    Here is Djokovic’s winning moment.

  • Djokovic wins it! He wins the gold medal!

    Djokovic won his sought-after gold medal!

    After meeting Alcaraz in front of the net to offer him sincere and friendly congratulations, he kneels on the clay court and sobs. He then raises his arms to the sky and makes the sign of the cross with tears streaming down his face.

  • Three points behind Djokovic

    Djokovic is incredible. He still finds a way to challenge Alcaraz, even after three hours of match. He leads 4-2 in the tie-break.

  • It comes down to the tie-break

    Djokovic knows how to bring out his best shots when it matters most. Trailing 5-6 and seeing a third set quickly approaching, he broke Alcaraz to tie the set 6-6.

    Now, Djokovic needs just seven points to win the only title that has eluded him during his 20-year career: that of Olympic champion.

  • Related! Again!

    Djokovic and Alcaraz tied 5-5 in the second set.

    Alcaraz needs win one of the next two games to stay in the game. If he fails to do so, the gold medal belongs to Djokovic.

  • Alcaraz regains the advantage in the second set!

    The tennis has been masterful, but Alcaraz has a slight advantage. He had answers to everything Djokovic threw at him in the final match, winning to take a 5-4 lead in the second set. He must win one more match to tie the match at one set apiece.

  • Alcaraz fades, Djokovic soars… or is it the other way around?

    The tone of this match changes from point to point. Djokovic and Alcaraz are playing phenomenal tennis, and now both are frustrated with various things. Djokovic is frustrated with his box, insisting they haven’t helped him in two hours. Alcaraz is frustrated with himself for missing some easy returns.

  • Djokovic is three matches away

    Djokovic was not free from errors, but he mainly managed to limit them to moments when he was not in danger of losing a match. Alcaraz did not.

    In the final match, Djokovic leveled the set 3-3 after Alcaraz hit an easy shot straight into the net. Djokovic only needs three more wins to win gold, and if Alcaraz continues to make such mistakes, he just might do it.

  • Alcaraz, with 30 forced errors, is under strong pressure from Djokovic. But unforced errors, currently numbering 26, cause him even more problems. He made some confusing shots today, launching forehands high into the stratosphere before they inevitably fell out of bounds.

    Despite this, Alcaraz still hits shots that Djokovic doesn’t understand. Several times during this match he hit what would normally be a winner, only to see Alcaraz return it and take the point. Djokovic then stands there, hands on hips, shaking his head, and you can practically see the thought bubble above his head saying “I threw everything I could at this guy. How can I beat him?!”

  • Djokovic looks sharp

    2024 is the first time in 14 years that Djokovic has failed to win any of the first three Grand Slam tournaments. In fact, Djokovic hasn’t won a title all year, which is extremely rare.

    But against Alcaraz today, Djokovic looked better than he did since last season. He is active and puts real pressure on Alcaraz, who admitted to being nervous before playing Djokovic.

  • Djokovic wins set after laser-focused tiebreak

    Alcaraz and Djokovic stayed together in the tiebreak until 3-3, but Djokovic then retired. After Alcaraz sent a drop shot to Djokovic, Djokovic returned him with a crazy drop shot of his own that was totally out of reach for Carlitos.

    Djokovic is 37 and coming off minor meniscus surgery, and he’s keeping pace with a 21-year-old virtuoso who beat him just a month ago at Wimbledon. He also stopped Alcaraz from breaking him even once in the first set. Alcaraz was 0 for 8 on break points, which is extremely unusual for him.

    If Djokovic wins this gold medal, he will absolutely deserve it. Not because of his long and successful career, but because of his current performance. He had to dig deeper and be more creative against Alcaraz than any other opponent he faced in Paris last week.

  • Alcaraz forces the tie-break!

    Djokovic was just one point away from winning the set, but the crafty Carlos managed to steal the game. Tied 6-6, they now head to the tie-break. The first to seven points wins the set.

  • Alcaraz equalizes, but a major failure has just cost him a possible lead

    Alcaraz easily tied the set 5-5, but trailing 30-40, he made a critical error in judgment on a shot and it landed out of bounds.

    Once again, Alcaraz must win this match to save the first set and force a tiebreaker.

  • Djokovic wins his 9th match after a long battle

    Tied 4-4, Alcaraz and Djokovic have just finished a match that lasted almost 15 minutes. Both had plenty of chances to win, but it was Djokovic who was ultimately able to string together enough points to claim victory.

    Alcaraz is in a difficult situation. If he doesn’t win this game, he loses the entire first set. With this final taking place in a best-of-three format instead of the normal best-of-five Grand Slam, the only way for him to win gold if he loses the first set is to win the next two. Otherwise, Djokovic will get the long-awaited gold and Alcaraz will have to settle for silver.

  • Good tennis makes great photos

  • This might be a long one, friends…

    Grab your biggest mug and fill it to the top with your best coffee, because we might be here for a while. They fight tooth and nail for every point.

    But unlike a Grand Slam final, which lasts five sets, the Olympic gold medal final lasts only three sets. Every shot counts, because mistakes will cost you dearly.

  • Djokovic almost lost this match at least twice, but managed to come out on top to regain the lead at 3-2.

  • Alcaraz plays unevenly

    Alcaraz didn’t play his best tennis to start the match, but he came back from 0-40 down to win the fourth game and tie the set at 2-2.

    Nerves could be the reason for Alcaraz and Djokovic’s early stumbles. Alcaraz, in particular, was jumping up and down and flailing his arms, as if trying to settle down.

    Even the two greatest players in the game still get nervous at the Olympics!

  • The Queen (of tennis) is at Roland Garros

    The queen and undisputed GOAT of women’s tennis, Serena Williams, is watching Alcaraz vs. Djokovic very carefully.

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