Novak Djokovic says what he actually told Carlos Alcaraz at the net after their Olympic final

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Novak Djokovic is back in New York as he hopes to seal his 25th major title with his most recent grand slam coming at last year’s US Open.

Having only just about removed the Serbian flag he has been draped in since the start of the month, Novak Djokovic is set to play his first competitive tennis since Paris.

The Serb elected not to play in Cincinnati or Montreal after his Olympic victory, while Carlos Alcaraz endured a disappointing outing in the midwest, losing in his opening match.

With two tie-breaks only just about separating the two players, the Olympic final was the best match played this year despite Djokovic’s straight-set win.

Djokovic only had the Olympic gold missing from his collection, after a bronze in Beijing was followed up by a handful of fourth place finishes and an early exit in Rio.

Novak Djokovic reveals what he told Carlos Alcaraz at the net in the Olympic final

Playing at the US Open in a doubles exhibition event with John McEnroe, and Andre Agassi, it was Djokovic first return to the hard courts since his shock loss to Luca Nardi at Indian Wells.

Speaking about Alcaraz he said: “I told Carlos [Alcaraz] at the net when we finished the final that I was very grateful to him for letting me win the gold.

“He’s probably going to have like three gold medals before he retires,” Djokovic joked.

With Djokovic 37 and Alcaraz still just 21, their rivalry has assured fans that the future of tennis is safe.

Alcaraz just weeks before the Olympics condemned Djokovic to his second heaviest defeat in a major final as the Spaniard managed to defend his Wimbledon title.

What can we expect from Novak Djokovic at the US Open?

Djokovic’s decision to skip the warm-up tournaments was met with some dubious looks.

With fellow defending champion Coco Gauff having looked shaky on court, her two straight losses at Toronto and Cincinnati leave her with little form going into New York.

Djokovic however does represent something truly different and special, with the decision not to play in the warm-up tournaments likely not set to affect his form.

With Djokovic spotted training without his knee brace for the first time since the end of June, he is surely set to pick up exactly where he left off.

Having never gone a year since 2010 without winning at least one major, the US Open is the only shot he has left to continue this remarkable streak.