In an exhilarating match, Novak Djokovic triumphed over Carlos Alcaraz to finally secure his long-anticipated Olympic title and achieve the career ‘Golden Slam’.
With a men’s record of 24 major victories and capturing every available tennis title, Djokovic has finally attained Olympic gold in his fifth Olympic appearance.
Delivering his finest performance of the year, the Serb defeated the reigning French Open and Wimbledon champion Alcaraz with a score of 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (7-2) in front of an enthusiastic Paris crowd.
He becomes only the fifth player to achieve a ‘Golden Slam’ in singles, having won all four major tournaments along with the Olympic title, joining the ranks of Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams, Andre Agassi, and Steffi Graf.
Having left the Roland Garros court just two months ago facing knee surgery—which threatened his Olympic aspirations—Djokovic’s reaction after his victory on Sunday conveyed the significance of this triumph.
He turned towards his team, arms raised in astonishment, before dropping his racquet onto the ground.
After embracing Alcaraz, Djokovic was overcome with emotion, dropping to his knees in the center of the court, tears streaming down his face.
He then proudly displayed a Serbian flag and climbed into the stands to celebrate with his family and support crew.
Though Alcaraz was also in tears following the match, he leaves with a silver medal from his Olympic debut.
Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti secured the singles bronze medal after defeating Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime on Friday.
