Djokovic fights off Alcaraz to finally strike gold
Novak Djokovic completed his career Golden Slam as the 37-year-old Serb fought off Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz in a magnificent Olympic men’s singles final battle at Roland Garros on Sunday.
After heartbreak in Beijing, London, Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo, Djokovic simply would not be denied the one title that had eluded him for so long, winning 7-6(3) 7-6(2) in front of an enthralled crowd on Court Philippe Chatrier.
Top seed Djokovic delivered one of the finest performances of his career to deny a man 16 years his junior and become only the fifth player to win all four singles Grand Slams and the Olympic title during a career.
With points being celebrated by soccer-style chants that shattered the calm of the adjacent Bois de Boulogne, neither player took a backward step in a ferocious contest.
The first set alone lasted one hour 33 minutes as the two gladiators wrestled for control in a series of spellbinding games, one at 4-4 in which Djokovic repelled five break points.
Alcaraz blinked first in the tiebreak to allow Djokovic to move ahead and when another tiebreak was required to decide the second set, again Djokovic found another gear, moving 6-2 in front and sealing victory with a stunning forehand winner.
Djokovic roared to the sky and after consoling a stunned Alcaraz at the net he then fell to his knees and sobbed into the Parisian clay in the centre of the court before climbing into the crowd where he was swamped by his family, friends and team.
While Djokovic, the oldest player to win the Olympic singles title since the sport returned to the Games in 1988, sobbed tears of joy, the 21-year-old Alcaraz was inconsolable after falling short of adding the gold medal to this year’s French Open and Wimbledon crowns.
Djokovic, had lost three times in Olympic singles semi-finals and knew arriving in Paris that this was his last realistic chance to fill the last remaining space in a trophy cabinet that contains a men’s record 24 Grand Slam titles.
And how he earned it — overturning his crushing loss to Alcaraz three weeks ago in the Wimbledon final to become the first man to win the Olympic singles without dropping a set.
“It was an incredible fight and I had to play my best tennis,” an emotional Djokovic said before the medals ceremony as flag-waving Serbian fans celebrated in the stands.
“It was fair that the two sets finished in tiebreaks. I put my heart, my soul, everything to win gold.
“I did it for my country first, for Serbia.”
Djokovic joins an elite group of Steffi Graf, Andre Agassi, Rafa Nadal and Serena Williams, the latter watching from the front row, in the Golden Slam club.
It takes something pretty special to upstage the men’s 100 metres final which was taking place later at the Stade de France, but a seventh career clash between Alcaraz and Djokovic arguably came close as they served up a blockbuster.
The opening four games alone spanned 30 mesmerizing minutes, with virtually every rally a battle of wills.
Alcaraz saved three break points in the fourth game but began to look dangerous as he threw everything in his arsenal at Djokovic when the Serb served at 4-4.
Several times Djokovic could only smile at the athleticism of his opponent who piled on the pressure to earn five break points, but somehow he emerged with his serve intact.
Alcaraz saved a set point at 5-6 but the Spaniard’s level dipped slightly in the tiebreak and Djokovic needed no second invitation to grab the lead.
Sensing his moment, Djokovic’s intensity levels went even higher deep in the second set but Alcaraz hung on.
Djokovic was relentless though and an outrageous forehand winner at 2-2 in the breaker snapped Alcaraz’s resistance and the end then came quickly as he claimed the 99th, and perhaps most memorable, title of his glittering career.