NOVAK Djokovic defeated Carlos Alcaraz in a titanic final battle to win the men’s singles tennis gold medal of the Paris 2024 Olympics.
The 37-year-old Serb overcame the 21-year-old Spaniard 7-6, 7-6 in an enthralling final clash today that lasted two hours 50 minutes to clinch his first Olympic gold medal.
Djokovic’s accomplished career has already seen a men’s-record 24 Grand Slam titles and the most weeks spent at No.1 in the rankings by any man or woman.
It also already contained a Summer Olympics medal, from 2008, but it was a bronze — and he always wanted the ultimate medal.
Until he beat bronze medallist Lorenzo Musetti of Italy in the semi-finals on Friday, Djokovic had lost all three matches in that round at the Games.
He lost to the eventual gold winner each time: Rafael Nadal at Beijing in 2008, Andy Murray at London in 2012, and Alexander Zverev in Tokyo three years ago.
In Paris, wearing a gray sleeve over the right knee that required surgery for a torn meniscus two months ago, Djokovic faced Nadal in the second round and eliminated his longtime rival in straight sets.
Now Djokovic has become the oldest man to win the singles gold in tennis since 1908, and he prevented Alcaraz from becoming the youngest.
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