Novak Djokovic has been called the greatest of all time by Rafael Nadal’s uncle and former coach, Toni Nadal.
The 37-year-old finally achieved his dream of becoming Olympic champion when he defeated Carlos Alcaraz in the gold medal match.
It took arguably Djokovic’s best performance this year to defeat Alcaraz 7-6(2), 7-6(3) to win Serbia’s second gold medal of the Paris Olympic Games.
In the process Djokovic became the fifth player to win all four Slams and an Olympic gold medal after Steffi Graff, Andre Agassi, Serena Williams and his great rival, Rafael Nadal.
What did Toni Nadal say about Novak Djokovic?
Novak Djokovic had tried at four previous Olympic games to win the gold medal. He came closest to winning the title at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, where he was beaten by Nadal in the semi-finals before claiming the bronze medal.
Three more near misses followed, but now Djokovic has the final title that was missing from his glittering résumé. Following his latest accomplishment, Toni Nadal praised Alcaraz for his efforts in what has been a fantastic summer, while also acknowledging Djokovic as the best tennis player in history.
“The images of Carlos crying on the court with clear signs of sorrow and frustration have left us with a bitter feeling, but they should not lead us to think that it was a defeat,” the Spaniard told El Pais.
“He lost a match that could have easily gone his way, standing up for himself at all times, fighting until the last ball as we know is usual for him, and keeping an entire country in suspense that we enjoy watching him for his great tennis and his passion.
“His meritorious silver medal against the best tennis player in history undoubtedly deserves all our admiration.”
What did Novak Djokovic say about his Olympic win?
Djokovic was elated after becoming Olympic champion for the first time. His accomplishment is all the more remarkable given his struggles with both his form and injury throughout the 2024 season.
It has often been discussed among fans if tennis players value winning a Grand Slam more than becoming an Olympic champion or vice versa.
But this victory meant everything to Djokovic, who described becoming Olympic Champion as the greatest achievement of his career.
“Everything I felt in that moment when I won surpassed everything I thought or hoped that it would,” he said.
“Being on that court with the Serbian flag raising, singing the Serbian anthem, with the gold around my neck, I think nothing can beat that in terms of professional sport. It definitely stands out as the biggest sporting achievement I have had.”
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