Djokovic wins Olympic gold medal in Paris beating Carlos Alcaraz

Djokovic, Olympic

Seldom has a man played as well in defeat as Alcaraz did here, striking more than 40 clean winners in just two sets. But Alcaraz is 21 and his time will come again.

Novak Djokovic has completed tennis. The only empty space in his trophy cabinet – the one waiting for an Olympic gold medal – has now been filled, after a phenomenal near-three hour battle with his young rival Carlos Alcaraz.

There were no breaks of serve in this 7-6, 7-6 victory, but the quality of tennis and drama reached rare heights, particularly when Alcaraz made a strong push towards the end of the first set.

Djokovic was on the back foot against a more explosive opponent, but he fell back on his courtcraft. Even when his shots weren’t as good as Alcaraz’s, his decison-making was far sharper, and his nerve held strong on the biggest points.

He was visibly emotional after claiming a prize he had been seeking since he took bronze in the Olympic singles event of 2008. After clinching victory with a forehand winner, he knelt down on the court for an extended moment, and then pulled a Serbian flag out of his bag and roared as waved it to his fans.

Alcaraz was emotional as well, breaking down in tears as he gave a post-match interview at the side of the court. Seldom has a man played as well in defeat as Alcaraz did here, striking more than 40 clean winners in just two sets. But Alcaraz is 21 and his time will come again.