Novak Djokovic has now gone down in tennis history following his Olympic gold medal match win over Carlos Alcaraz.
Djokovic enjoys a positive relationship with Alcaraz, but that was put to one side at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The Serbian didn’t drop a single set on his way to the top prize, with Djokovic the oldest player to play in the Olympic men’s singles final, aged 37.
He defeated his 21-year-old opponent 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (7-2), saving all eight break points he faced throughout the match.
Djokovic has now followed Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams, Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf in winning the singles Golden Slam, clinching Olympic gold and all four Grand Slams.
Tennis fans notice something about Novak Djokovic during his Olympic gold celebrations
But given what they say from Djokovic in Paris, many tennis fans believe that this win was the most special of his career.
The 24-time Grand Slam winner burst into tears on court and celebrated wildly with his team and family in the stands, with one X user noting: “Never seen Djokovic break down like this. He has won the most number of Grand Slams but I’ve never seen him get so emotional.”
A second user said: “Sporting immortality for Novak Djokovic. Have never seen him more emotional. He was incredible.”
A third noted: “Never seen Novak Djokovic this emotional. He really wanted to beat Carlos Alcaraz and win gold. Bravo Djokovic!!!”
A fourth commented: “We have never seen Djokovic this emotional because yesterday he didn’t just win a gold medal, he completed tennis.
“The question of is he the greatest male tennis player of all time has been settled before several times. The question today is whether or not he is the greatest athlete of all time.”
Another noted: “It’s not even a soccer thing, country >>>>> club concept can be applied across the board in sports. I have never seen Djokovic that emotional for any of his Grand Slam titles, even the milestone ones!”
Another user said: “HOW has Djokovic won that set?! He was barely staying in it for the whole time and somehow comes out on top. I’ve never seen Alcaraz look like losing his nerve before either. This match showing how much the Olympics does mean to tennis players.”
Where does Novak Djokovic’s Olympic gold medal rank?
Djokovic ranks the Olympic win as arguably his biggest success, having previously tried four times to clinch gold.
The Serbian secured bronze at Beijing, suffered an early loss in Rio, and finished fourth in both London and Tokyo.
The veteran boasts a stunning 99 titles, with 24 of those coming at the four majors, more than any other man.
Such competitions are arguably more difficult to win than the Olympics, given the level of competition and indeed the number of matches involved.
But given his emotional celebrations in Paris, Djokovic clearly wanted the gold medal more than anything else.
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