Chris Evert only managed to play at one Olympics after its reintroduction to the Games in 1988.
Novak Djokovic’s commitment to completing his Olympic dream simply cannot be faulted.
His nightmarish end in Tokyo from a set and a break up against Alexander Zverev looked like it might be the full stop Djokovic would be forced to reluctantly accept.
The torn meniscus in his knee on Court Philippe-Chatrier two months ago looked yet another sign from above that possibly this Olympics dream just wasn’t to be.
Djokovic simply managed to sum up his entire career in around three hours, battling through the chaos and upheaval to win the very thing that eluded him and allowed the nay-sayers to doubt him.
Chris Evert reveals how she feels about Novak Djokovic’s Olympic win
There could be no person less fitting than Chris Evert to sum up glory on the courts of Roland Garros, having won the French Open a record seven times between 1974 and 1986.
She wrote on X: “Novak….. His love for the game and his country is unprecedented. The strength of his mind is incomparable.
“His GOAT status is cemented. So happy for him…”
The 18-time major winner existed during an equally fantastic era of tennis, with Evert and Martina Navratilova dominating and double-handedly progressing the women’s game.
How does this Olympic achievement rank in Novak Djokovic’s career?
Djokovic’s long trophy-laden career has been characterised by far more ups than downs, as he’s hauled up more titles than all his immediate rivals.
Having secured bronze in his first Games in Beijing, it was not immediately clear at that point how arduous a journey his Olympic one would become.
Shockingly, Paris was Djokovic’s first Olympic final appearance after four times of trying and ultimately failing.
Djokovic has made clear the pride he feels from representing his nation, with his win at the Olympics only reinforcing this joy as he draped himself in the Serbian flag.
This Olympic win will rank so close, if not at the very top, with the 16-year wait clearly making the victory taste just that bit sweeter.
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