Novak Djokovic has taken his very first Olympic Gold on the clay courts of Roland Garros. In what was pretty much his best performance of the 2024 season, the 37 year old took out Carlos Alcaraz in a two set thriller. As few expected, Djokovic got the better of the Spanish sensation in a match that lasted 2 hours and 51 minutes in front of a packed Parisian crowd.
The win puts Novak Djokovic on top of the tennis world by claiming the one thing he had yet to achieve in his decorated career – Olympic Gold. However, he had to go to war with Alcaraz to make this dream come true! With neither man giving the other an inch, it was Djokovic who emerged victorious by a score of 7-6 7-6.
In classic Djokovic fashion, the Serb just seemed to find his best tennis when it mattered most to complete his tennis CV. Djokovic himself has hailed the victory as one of the biggest achievements of his career, and that’s coming from a man with 24 Grand Slam titles! Perhaps most amazingly of all, this win came on the exact same court where he tore his meniscus exactly two months prior.
At the time, Djokovic feared his season could be over. But as we’ve seen time and time again, Djokovic has risen from the brink of disaster to overcome the most impossible odds. He might not have been up to the task in the Wimbledon final just a few weeks ago, but he was definitely back to his best in the Olympic final.
With this said, what does the victory mean for Djokovic in terms of his career and the record books? And why was this win so phenomenal? Let me discuss those questions now.
Djokovic’s greatest-ever victory – Olympic Gold secured in Paris 2024
The outpouring of emotion, when Djokovic nailed another forehand winner past Alcaraz to win the match in Paris, was quite extraordinary. In fact, the last time he showed anything close to that was when he won the 2023 Australian Open, the year after he was famously deported. This shows just how much winning the Gold Medal meant to Djokovic, and boy, did he deserve it!
In the immediate aftermath, Djokovic has described the win as one of his greatest ever achievements in tennis. But what does he really mean by this? Well, let me paint the picture of what the man has overcome recently in order to take his first Olympic Gold.
Meniscus tear just two months prior
Ironically, Court Philippe Chatrier was the same court where Djokovic tore his meniscus while competing in the French Open two months ago. He managed to come through the 4th round match, where he tore his meniscus. But naturally, this was hugely concerning.
Therefore, the fact that he has returned to claim such an emphatic victory on this court two months later is nothing short of remarkable.
Heavy defeat in Wimbledon final to Alcaraz
Alcaraz is arguably the best player on the planet right now in terms of results. In the last two months, he has won the French Open and Wimbledon. Yet, it was Wimbledon where he destroyed Djokovic in straight sets – a match that many hailed as the changing of the guard.
This was just three weeks before the Olympic final. But Djokovic was clearly able to put that behind him and overcome Alcaraz both physically and mentally so soon after that humiliating defeat.
The players he had to beat to claim Gold
If you look at the draw he went through in Paris, he had an insanely tough run to the Gold Medal. He had to beat Nadal in the second round, which was already insane. And he then went on to beat Tsitsipas, Musetti, and Alcaraz in the final – a draw which looked near impossible if he wasn’t 100% fit.
His age and the importance of winning this match
At 37 years old, it’s fair to say that this was pretty much Djokovic’s last shot at winning Olympic Gold. He had to make it count, and he did just that! Once again, Djokovic came out and delivered on an occasion where he really needed to, and for many, this further confirms that he is the GOAT.
What the win means for Djokovic and the record books in men’s tennis
Putting the quality of tennis and the excitement of this match aside, let’s now look at what the Gold Medal means from a wider perspective. Of course, this relates to Novak Djokovic’s career and the record books as a whole.
He now has the ‘Career Golden Slam
Just to touch up his tennis CV a little more, Djokovic has now become just the third man in history to achieve the Career Golden Slam. Only Andre Agassi and Rafael Nadal have achieved this feat previously – winning all four Grand Slams and Olympic Gold.
Oldest men’s singles Olympic Gold winner in history
By winning the Gold Medal in the men’s singles at 37 years of age, he is the oldest gold medalist in history for the men’s singles event.
Bear in mind his opponent, Carlos Alcaraz, is 16 years younger than Djokovic. This makes the victory all the more impressive and further enhances the legacy of Novak Djokovic.
He has now won everything there is to win in tennis
By winning the Olympic Gold Medal, Djokovic has now officially won everything he can possibly win in men’s tennis – all of the high profile events. This includes all Masters 1000 events, all Grand Slams, the End of Year Finals, the Davis Cup, and now, Olympic Gold. Because of these, Novak Djokovic is the most decorated men’s tennis player to have ever lived (officially).
He’s shown he isn’t going anywhere yet
I’ve saved the best for last! With the phenomenal win on the clay courts of Roland Garros over the man who will take the throne once he retires, Djokovic made a huge statement. After Wimbledon, everyone had written the 24-time Grand Slam champion off. Many pundits said the Djokovic reign was over.
But he has shown once again what an unbelievable talent he is and what a mental giant he still is when he needs to be! So, is Djokovic done yet? I highly doubt it.
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