It is “arguably the biggest success I ever had,” said the Serbian after a 7-6 (3), 7-6 (2) triumph that featured no service breaks.
Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz knew how much Sunday’s gold-medal match meant to their careers. And because it was a best-of-three-set contest, unlike many of their recent collisions, they also knew how much the first set meant.
It was a first that felt like a fifth—and which, in a way, turned out to be decisive.
The Serbian put an end to any men’s tennis GOAT debates with a 7-6 (3), 7-6 (2) win, giving him his first Olympic gold medal to go with his 24 Grand Slam singles titles.
“I’m overwhelmed with everything I’m feeling right now,” said Djokovic, who joined Steffi Graf, Andre Agassi, Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams (who was in attendance) as Golden Slammers. “Arguably the biggest success I ever had.”
“My moment will come,” said Alcaraz, who was never broken in the two-set loss. “I will bring the gold medal to Spain one day.”
In what would be a 93-minute opener, the top two seeds at the Paris Summer Games saved a combined 12 break points. Alcaraz went 0 for 8—including five misses in a marathon ninth game, which lasted over 14 minutes. Djokovic simply could not win deuce points, but a point later and he’d invaribaly deny Alcaraz’s advantage.
At 5-4, they’d already played 65 minutes.
The intense game had ended, but it was just one battle in this veritable war. At 5-4, Djokovic reached 30-30 on Alcaraz’s serve, but the Spaniard won the next two points. At 5-5, Alcaraz reached 30-30 on Djokovic’s serve, but the Serbian won the next two points.
In the next game, Djokovic again got to 30-all, but this time reached set point—which Carlitos saved with a third-shot forehand winner. A tiebreaker, the only logical conclusion to this display of all-court excellence, ensued.
All remained level until 3-3, when Djokovic swiped a return winner off an Alcaraz second-serve. Nole, hitting out with a return on a pivotal point? Rings a bell…
The 37-year-old, playing in his fifth Olympics, won the next three points to take the lead over the 21-year-old, playing in his first.
The blink-and-you lose dogfight continued into the second set, with eight straight holds.
Once again, the ninth game was notable. Alcaraz led 40-0, another routine service game seemingly in the bag. Until Djokovic won the next three points. The subsequent deuce point inspired perhaps the best hitting from both men in a single rally, but it was Alcaraz who ultimately came out on top. It was a jaw-dropping succession of 25 shots, terminating only after both competitors deserved to win the point multiple times, had they been facing anyone else.
By 5-5, Djokovic and Alcaraz had now eclipsed the two-and-a-half hour mark.
Would you believe it, but they needed another tiebreaker to decide the set.
Djokovic took the first point for a mini-break, turning defense into offense as he’s done for his entire, legendary career. A running crosscourt forehand winner saw him just six points from striking gold.
“Vintage Novak!” exclaimed commentator Rennae Stubbs, after Djokovic took the second point, thanks to more great defense (and an Alcaraz error).
Alcaraz recovered the mini-break for 1-2—but Djokovic took it back with another jaw-dropping crosscourt forehand winner, for 3-2 and two serves.
Four points later, with a mammoth forehand winner, and Djokovic capped a career’s worth of achievements with perhaps his grandest yet.
