As Tata would say, through a small sign he displayed in the stands of court Philippe-Chatrier, “my dad is the best.” At 37 years old, Novak Djokovic confirmed his daughter’s statement by becoming the fifth tennis player to add an Olympic gold medal to the titles of the four majors, emulating Andre Agassi, Steffi Graf, Rafael Nadal, and Serena Williams. The victory over Carlos Alcaraz in an intense final lasting almost three hours for just two sets provided the 37-year-old Serb with what he had been seeking since winning a bronze medal at his first of five Olympic appearances, 16 years ago in Beijing.
“Dear Serbia, We did it, Love, Nole,” he wrote on social media accompanied by a heart and a medal, immediately after defeating the Spaniard, 16 years his junior, 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (7/2). Djokovic is the first tennis player to win an Olympic gold without dropping a set, having only lost three games in the tie-break; the other came in the quarter-finals against Stefanos Tsitsipas.
In the final between the oldest and the youngest finalists of the Olympic tournament since its reintroduction in 1988, the balance was evident from the start with many games decided by advantages. In total during the first set, there were 13 break-points saved by both, eight of which were for Alcaraz; the fifth for the Serb was actually a set-point at 5-6.
In the tie-break, a devastating response from Djokovic gave him a lead that extended to 6/3. It was at the net that he seized the first opportunity to close the match after one hour and 33 minutes.
The second set recorded only one break-point, for Djokovic who, in another tie-break, proved to be the more determined and mentally stronger, reaching 6/2 before concluding after two hours and 50 minutes.
“An incredible battle. When I won the last point, it was the only moment I believed I could win. He also had opportunities, and it was fair to decide the sets in the tie-break… I’m still in shock. I put my heart, soul, body, family, everything into winning the gold, and at 37 years old, I did it. It’s the reward for competing for my country; it’s something special. I didn’t feel as nervous before this final because I had already secured a medal when I won in the semi-finals,” Djokovic stated still on the court. Interestingly, this was also Djokovic’s first title and first victory over a top 10 opponent in 2024.
Doubts about achieving this feat were always present, but belief and conviction were greater. “The Olympic Games happen every four years, so the opportunity to win gold for our country is very rare, and I knew the fact that I am 37. I had to try to silence all the noise around me and focus on what needed to be done on the court. And that is the biggest battle to win,” Djokovic said in the press conference.
The emotion felt from the moment of the match-point is likely to linger for several days, as he mentioned he could barely “wait for what’s coming in the next 48 hours.” “I’m super-emotional for having managed to do this here in the way I did, against a guy who is the best in the world at the moment. I’m on cloud nine. Everything I felt at that moment when I actually won surpassed everything I thought or expected it would be. I thought carrying the flag at the opening ceremony [in the London Games] was the best feeling ever until I experienced this today. And being on that court with the Serbian flag raised, singing the Serbian anthem, with the gold around my neck, I think nothing surpasses that in terms of professional sports. It definitely stands out as the greatest sporting achievement I’ve had,” he acknowledged.
As the only man to have won all four Grand Slams (a total of 24 titles), the Olympic Games, the ATP Finals, and all nine different Masters 1000 tournaments, is Djokovic’s resume now complete? “Yes, it’s complete because I’ve completed all the achievements with this gold medal, but no, because I love this sport. I don’t play just to win tournaments. I still want to play in Los Angeles,” the Serb added, aiming for the next Olympic Games where he could compete at 41 years old.
Alcaraz also couldn’t contain his emotion when interviewed still on the court and needed a few seconds to stop the tears. At the medal ceremony, the young Spaniard reappeared with his usual smile and “head held high after a tremendous battle,” as he wrote on social media, where he congratulated Djokovic.
Wrapping up the Olympic tournament, Sara Errani, also 37 years old like Djokovic, emulated the Serb by winning the Career Golden Slam in women’s doubles. The Italian is only the seventh in history to do so, along with Pam Shriver (1988), Gigi Fernandez (1993), Serena Williams (2001), Venus Williams (2001), Barbora Krejcikova (2022), and Katerina Siniakova (2022), who also won the four majors and the Olympic tournament. Errani teamed up with the Roland Garros and Wimbledon singles finalist, Jasmine Paolini, to defeat the Russians competing under the designation AIN (Neutral Individual Athletes), Mirra Andreeva and Diana Shnaider, 2-6, 6-1, and 10/7.