A three-hour marathon final saw Novak Djokovic edge to Olympic gold by the finest of margins.
It was a final for the history books, with a whole host of wildly impressive, shocking, and record-breaking narratives coursing through it.
Carlos Alcaraz had enjoyed a prolific two months having scooped up his maiden French Open title in June, followed by defending his Wimbledon title again, defeating Novak Djokovic for the second time in two years at that stage.
Djokovic on the other hand had limped off Court Philippe-Chatrier in mid-June having suffered a torn meniscus to his right knee.
With the Olympic dream presumably in tatters, the Serb did what he’s been doing for 20 years and battled back against all odds to make the Wimbledon final, and now secure a tantalizing Olympic gold without dropping a set all week.
As Alcaraz fought back tears after the defeat, he managed to gather himself and recognise the scale of his achievement, while also congratulating his opponent who he pushed to the very edge.
Novak Djokovic sends rousing message to Carlos Alcaraz after ‘El Clasico’ Olympic final
In a heartbeat Djokovic had done it – he’d obtained the unthinkable, held the piece of metal that, by his own admission, had relentlessly nagged him for years.
Recognising the fantastic level of Alcaraz, he posted on Instagram, writing: “A quick shoutout to @carlitosalcarazz. Another epic final, my friend. El clasico.
“Congratulations to you and your team for an excellent Olympics. Considering your age, your energy, and the way you play, you probably have 20 more Olympics ahead of you. Your gold will come. Until next time, amigo.”
A nod to Alcaraz’s age of just 21, Djokovic has already recognised the astonishing level the young Spaniard has brought to tennis.
Alcaraz was quick to respond to his conqueror, saying: “Thank you titan! Can’t wait to the next one.”
Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz have already managed to cultivate a historical rivalry
Ahead of the Olympic final, the pair were tied at three wins a-piece against each other.
Remarkably too, with the two often the top seeds, they’ve never met before the semi-final stage of a competition, and have already played each other at two grand slam finals, which Alcaraz has won.
Alcaraz’s dynamic and energised presence has managed to push Djokovic back to his best level – a challenge nobody has truly been up to since the retirement and career twilights of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Andy Murray.
With their two Wimbledon finals draped in a ‘changing of the guard’ narrative, both players have already managed to write a compelling story which has totally transformed the sport and successfully convinced fans to move on from the ‘Big Four’ era.
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