On August 4 in Paris, Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic fulfilled his life’s dream. At the age of 37, the 24-time Grand Slam champion became an Olympic champion for the first time in his career at the fifth attempt. In the decisive match, the veteran of the professional circuit defeated Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz (7-6, 7-6) in two tie-breaks, to whom he had lost in three sets in the final of his beloved Wimbledon just three weeks ago.
The Olympic final shocked the world community also because Novak’s previous visit to Paris ended in a real drama for the Serb. Djokovic was unable to reach the quarter-finals of Roland Garros 2024 due to a serious injury. He was forced to withdraw from the fight with Norwegian Casper Ruud and then underwent surgery. His performance in Olympic Paris was in jeopardy, and he first reached the final of the TBS on grass, then returned to the French capital and took revenge on Alcaraz where he needed it most: in the final of the Games.
It is worth noting that the victory in Paris was Djokovic’s first title this season. 2024 was a very difficult year for Novak, but today the Serbian tennis player became the fifth tennis player in history to win all Grand Slam tournaments (Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon, US Open) and the Olympic Games. Previously, this was achieved by Andre Agassi, Steffi Graf, Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams.
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After the match, both athletes could not hold back their tears. Novak cried with happiness, Carlos with disappointment. Both tennis players spoke emotionally about the result of the impressive final, and their current tennis workshop colleagues, experts and journalists shared their opinions on what they saw.
“I put my heart, soul, body and family on the line.”
“Incredible battle, fight. It was fair to end both sets in a tie-break. I don’t know what to say. I’m still in shock. I put my heart, soul, body, family, everything on the line to win Olympic gold at the age of 37. I’m proud to play for Serbia. Carlos and Rafa love to play for Spain, Andy for Great Britain and Roger for Switzerland. You see the reaction when they win. It’s special. This is different,” Djokovic told Eurosport.
“The fight for Spain was everything to me. I will leave the pitch with my head held high.”
“Novak raised his level in difficult moments, he made incredible shots, he played unbelievable. I am a little disappointed, but I will leave the court with my head held high. I gave everything I had. Fighting for Spain was everything for me,” Alcaraz said in an on-court interview.
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Carlos Alcaraz broke down in tears after losing the 2024 Olympic final
“Does anyone doubt that Djokovic is the best tennis player?”
“Does anyone doubt that Djokovic is the best tennis player? I don’t know if that’s convincing, but he beat Alcaraz in the Olympic final.
“I will definitely be the last person he will listen to about what he should do next. Djokovic himself knows what to do next. Nobody has the right to advise him anything,” said 2000 Olympic champion, two-time Grand Slam singles winner and former world number one Yevgeny Kafelnikov.
“A completely deserved victory. My inner Vanga was wrong”
“Novak is an Olympic champion! A fully deserved victory, despite my biases and predictions. And it’s good that my inner Vanga was wrong. Novak dominated from the start of the match, it seemed like everything was in his hands. Congratulations!” wrote Russian tennis player Svetlana Kuznetsova on social media.
Novak Djokovic
Photo: Diego Souto/Getty Images
“Happy to have seen this”
“Willpower. I can’t explain Nole’s efforts that I just witnessed. The best. To have one last chance, tell everyone that this is your priority and do your best right now. Emotionally. Happy to have seen this,” wrote the famous American tennis player Andy Roddick.
“The debate about who is the best of the best is over.”
“Novak Djokovic has won everything there is to win in tennis. The debate about who is the best of the best is over!” – the famous Briton Greg Rusedski put an end to one of the main discussions that has been going on for many decades in the world of tennis.
“The best”
“GOAT” – legendary tennis coach Patrick Mouratoglou expressed the same idea as Rusedski, but much more succinctly. The American specialist immediately wrote the abbreviation GOAT, meaning the greatest of all time. Translated into Russian: “The best of the best” or simply “The greatest”.
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“That’s the point. He’s the best on the tennis court.”
“For me, that’s the point. Novak Djokovic is undoubtedly the best on the tennis court,” echoes the famous former American tennis player Murdy Fish of Rusedski and Mouratoglou.
“Beyond this world”
“Beyond this world,” was the extremely brief and clear statement made by Australian tennis player Thanasi Kokkinakis.
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Djokovic storms the podium to meet his family after winning the 2024 Olympics
“You’re fabulous! You’ve finally made it, my friend.”
“You finally did it, my friend! You are fabulous!” wrote the former world number three and Grand Slam winner, Argentine Juan Martin del Potro.
“Unreal Fighter”
“King, Superman, Hero! Djokovic underwent meniscus surgery in his knee 60 days ago. Since then he has reached the Wimbledon final and won the Olympics. An unreal fighter!!!” – wrote prominent Czech journalist Lukáš Tomek on social media.
Novak Djokovic
Photo: Eurasia Sports Images/Getty Images
“The new generation has a lot to learn from the legends of this sport”
“Djokovic cries after finally winning the Olympic gold medal. Murray and Nadal put their bodies on the line in their last attempt. The new generations have a lot to learn from the legends of the sport about the oldest and most important competitions in the sport. Alcaraz is one of the exceptions,” wrote prominent Portuguese journalist Gaspar Ribeiro Leanca on social media.
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“I have no words! Very well! Novak won in class”
“I am very happy for Djokovic! I was not sure that he would win because Alcaraz is in very good shape now. But Novak played the match very cleanly. Sometimes somewhere it seemed that his leg was hurting, that he was somehow not feeling well. He played every ball superbly, cleanly and carefully. I have no words! Very good! He won the class.
“Let’s leave the decision to retire to Djokovic. Who are we to speak for Novak? Djokovic is Djokovic. He is great and capable of making decisions for himself. That will be important for him,” said Andrei Olkhovsky, winner of the Australian Open in 1994 and Roland Garros in 1993 in mixed doubles, at the tournament.
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