Novak Djokovic secures Olympic gold by defeating Carlos Alcaraz, marking the ‘biggest success of his career.’
Despite Djokovic’s era of dominance across every major tournament, including winning all Grand Slam titles, every Masters 1000 event, and spending more weeks at No. 1 than any other player in history, the Olympics had always eluded him. His quest for a gold medal had led to some of the most painful moments of his career, but his unmatched resilience drove him to overcome those setbacks.
In what was likely his last realistic Olympic opportunity at age 37, Djokovic delivered a stellar performance, defeating Alcaraz 7-6 (3), 7-6 (2) in two fiercely competitive sets to finally win Olympic gold. He became the oldest tennis player to achieve this feat, doing so without dropping a set.
Previously, Djokovic had regarded his role as Serbia’s flag bearer at the London 2012 opening ceremony as his proudest career moment. But after his Olympic victory, he said, “This kind of supersedes everything that I imagined, hoped, that I could experience and that I could feel.”
Just two months earlier, on the same court, Djokovic had torn his meniscus during a French Open match and underwent surgery the next day. His comeback to reach the Wimbledon final was impressive, but he lost to Alcaraz, making him the underdog going into the Olympic final.
From the start, Djokovic set the tone by playing with depth and precision, keeping Alcaraz off balance with smart net play and impeccable shot selection. In the first-set tie-break, Djokovic capitalized on Alcaraz’s errors, ultimately sealing the set with a stunning drop-volley winner after 92 minutes.
Despite the grueling first set, Djokovic maintained his intensity in the second. Although Alcaraz matched his level, Djokovic played a dominant tie-break to secure the win.
After the match, Djokovic was overcome with emotion, collapsing to the ground and weeping tears of joy. He later celebrated with his family and team, while Alcaraz also shed tears, expressing pride in his performance despite the loss.
Djokovic’s victory is a monumental achievement, especially considering his previous Olympic heartbreaks and the challenges he faced this season, including his recent injury. Reflecting on his career, Djokovic said, “When I take everything into consideration, this probably is the biggest sporting success I’ve ever had in my career.”
