Novak Djokovic beats Carlos Alcaraz to win Olympic tennis gold and seal 'Golden Slam'
Djokovic shows strong emotions as he defeats Alcaraz to claim Olympic gold.
A senior journalist from BBC Sport is covering the action at Roland Garros.
Novak Djokovic defeated Carlos Alcaraz in an exciting manner to win a highly anticipated Olympic gold medal and achieve the prestigious 'Golden Slam' in his career.
Djokovic, who holds the most men's major titles and has won all the top tennis championships, recently won the Olympic gold medal at his fifth appearance in the Games.
The 37-year-old Serbian player delivered an outstanding performance, defeating the French Open and Wimbledon champion Alcaraz 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (7-2) in a full stadium in Paris.
He won the match with a powerful shot, then looked at his supporters with his arms wide open, surprised. Finally, he tossed his racquet to the ground in exhaustion after playing for nearly three hours.
Following an embrace with Spain's Alcaraz, Djokovic suddenly started crying and dropped to his knees on the court.
He proceeded to open up a Serbian flag and climbed up into the stands to celebrate with his family and team of supporters.
Djokovic is only the fifth player ever to achieve the 'Golden Slam' in singles tennis, which includes winning all four major tournaments and an Olympic gold medal. The other players who have accomplished this feat are Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams, Andre Agassi, and Steffi Graf.
"Winning was even better than I expected," Djokovic expressed.
Standing on the court with the Serbian flag waving, singing the Serbian anthem, and wearing the gold medal around my neck, I believe there is nothing that can top that experience in the world of professional sports.
"This is definitely the most significant accomplishment in my sports career."
Alcaraz, who is 21 years old, was also crying after the game, but he will go home with a silver medal in his first-ever Olympics.
Italy's Lorenzo Musetti won the bronze medal in singles by defeating Felix Auger-Aliassime from Canada on Friday.
Djokovic Dominates With Stunning Victory
Picture taken from Getty Images --- Please visit this link for the original image: [Link] We recommend checking out the source for more visual content.
Novak Djokovic lost to Carlos Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final but then bounced back to win at Roland Garros.
This moment is likely to hold just as much significance for Djokovic, if not more, than all the Grand Slams, Masters 1,000 titles, and ATP tournaments he has claimed.
He departed from the Roland Garros court two months ago with a need for knee surgery, jeopardizing his Olympic aspirations. His emotional response following Sunday's victory illustrated the importance of his achievement.
His relatives looked on from the bleachers, waving Serbian banners, while his daughter Tara held a banner proclaiming "Father is number one".
Djokovic has talked about how he views the Olympics as the highest level of competition. The feeling of representing his country has had a strong impact on him in the last four Games.
He earned a bronze medal in singles at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, came in fourth at the 2012 London Olympics, experienced a tough loss in the early rounds of the 2016 Rio Olympics, and narrowly missed out on the bronze in the Tokyo Olympics three years ago.
Nevertheless, Djokovic remained undefeated in Paris and was determined and concentrated right from the beginning, with his sights set on winning the one trophy he had always been unable to secure.
The last game was a challenge for him – he was struggling in the beginning but didn't give up. He managed to save all eight break points and took advantage when Alcaraz made mistakes in both tie-breaks.
When questioned if he had 'finished' playing tennis, Djokovic replied: "I have achieved everything in this sport with this gold medal, but my love for tennis keeps me going. I don't just play to win tournaments."
I am not sure what will happen in the future, but right now I want to focus on the present and enjoy this moment of celebration. It has been a long journey, years of dreaming about holding the gold medal. Now, I just want to feel happy, joyful, and celebrate this achievement.
The game was played with great sportsmanship, and both players often found themselves chuckling at the impressive skill displayed by their opponent.
The spectators were evenly divided between Spanish fans, who were wearing flags, and Serbia supporters holding signs with Djokovic's nickname, "Nole", written on them.
The energy in the air was buzzing with excitement as the match unfolded. Alcaraz seemed a bit on edge and had to fend off a break point in the first game, but he really challenged Djokovic with his impressive blend of finesse and strength.
Nevertheless, Djokovic refused to surrender. He showcased his top-level tennis skills even when facing break points and, after winning the first set, was brimming with self-assurance.
Every now and then, Djokovic would look over at his support group, who reassured him to stay optimistic and keep his chin up. Overall, Djokovic was completely focused and performing at his best, just like he has been throughout the year.
This has been a tough stretch of matches for Djokovic. He was defeated in the semi-finals of the Australian Open by Italy's Jannik Sinner, struggled on the hard court, had to undergo knee surgery following an injury at Roland Garros, and was convincingly beaten in his first final of the season at Wimbledon.
Nevertheless, this triumph will be even more enjoyable for a man who shows no indication of slowing down. He has also not dismissed the possibility of participating in the Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028.
Italy Triumphs In Women's Doubles Gold
Picture credit to Getty Images
Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini were ranked as the third-best team in Paris 2024.
In another location, Italy won first place in the women's doubles event when Jasmine Paolini and Sara Errani defeated Mirra Andreeva and Diana Shnaider, who were representing Russia under a neutral flag.
Andreeva and Shnaider have become the first Russian athletes to win a medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
They lost the match with a score of 2-6 in the first set, but managed to bounce back and win the second set with a score of 6-1. Ultimately, they were defeated 10-7 in the final tiebreaker by Wimbledon finalist Paolini and former doubles world number one Errani.
Cristina Bucsa and Sara Sorribes Tormo from Spain defeated Karolina Muchova and Linda Noskova from Czech Republic with a score of 6-2, 6-2 in the match for the bronze medal.
