Paris 2024: Novak Djokovic hammers Carlos Alcaraz to clinch maiden Olympic gold

Novak Djokovic won the gold medal in men’s tennis singles in Paris Olympics 2024. On Sunday, August 4.

The 37-year-old defeated Carlos Alcaraz 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (7-2) at the Philippe-Chatrier in the gold medal match. He also became the oldest Olympic champion in tennis. Alcaraz had the chance to become the youngest Olympic winner in tennis, but that was not the case.

Djokovic also completed a golden slam after Stefi Graff, Andre Agassi, Serena Williams and Rafael Nadal. Djokovic also avenged his defeat to Alcaraz in the Wimbledon 2024 final when the 24-time Grand Slam champion lost in straight sets.

Alcaraz did not have the smoothest of starts to the opening set as he saved a break point to hold his serve. He again found himself on the backfoot as Djokovic earned three break points, but the Spaniard saved all of them to make it 2-2. In the next game, Alcaraz had the chance to break Djokovic’s serve, but the Serb saved all of them and held his serve with an overhead winner.

The ninth game turned out to be an absolute thriller. Djokovic saved as many as five break points to eventually hold his serve and make it 5-4. The veteran found himself on the backfoot quite a few times, but found a way to bail himself out. It went down to the wire where Djokovic fetched a set point, but Alcaraz saved it to force a tie-breaker.

Novak Djokovic eases past Alcaraz
Even in the tie-breaker, it was neck-on-neck at 3-3, but Djokovic won four points in a row and claimed the opening set in an hour and 34 minutes with a forehand volley. Alcaraz would be gutted after failing to convert even one of his eight break point chances.

The second set started similarly where both Alcaraz and Djokovic kept each other on their toes. Alcaraz saved a break point in the third game to stay alive in the match. At 3-3, it again seemed that the set would go right down to the wire.

Alcaraz gave himself a great chance of going 5-4 up with three game points, but then Djokovic saved all three of them. However, Alcaraz won the game to keep breathing. Like the first set, the second set also went down to the tie-breaker as Alcaraz failed to break Djokovic’s serve.

In the tie-break, once Djokovic stormed into a lead, there was no stopping it. Back in 2008, Djokovic won bronze in Beijing and 16 years later, he finished on top of the podium.