GOAT debate over as Djokovic downs Alcaraz in epic final to claim gold medal at last

The debate is settled.

As Novak Djokovic sent a thunderous forehand past the despairing lunge of Carlos Alcaraz and erupted in triumph and tears on the famous Philippe Chatrier court, it became official if it wasn’t already: he is the greatest tennis player who has ever lived.

In defeating the Spaniard, who bested him in a straight-sets canter at Wimbledon less than a month ago in a match that seemed to be a final hurrah for the 37-year old, in an epic Olympics final, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (2) in a clash of the titans virtually flawless save for the fact that Djokovic’s tie-break supremacy denied it the deciding set it deserved, the Serbian champion claimed the gold medal that remained the one bare spot in tennis’ most packed trophy cabinet.

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Making the result all the more extraordinary is that it is Djokovic’s first title of 2024, and his first win over any top-10 opponent.

But with one final chance to win the gold that so painfully eluded him at the Rio and Tokyo Games, leading to tears of despair on both occasions, Djokovic, battling a knee injury as well as the effects of Father Time, summoned everything left in his body and mind to stun the French Open and Wimbledon champion, in what may well be the greatest triumph of his incredible career.

Previously, he had just one Olympic medal to his name – a bronze won in 2008, having lost third-place playoffs in 2012 and 2021 while losing to Juan Martin del Potro in the first round of the 2016 Games in Rio.

He becomes the fifth player, male or female, to claim a career singles Golden Slam – an Olympic gold medal and all four grand slams – alongside Rafael Nadal, Andre Agassi, Steffi Graf and Serena Williams.

At 37, he is the oldest man to ever claim an Olympic singles gold medal; at 21, Alcaraz was the youngest ever finalist. Such are the extremes of men’s tennis in 2024.

“We almost played three hours for two sets… incredible battle, incredible fight,” an exhausted Djokovic told Eurosport following his triumph.

“When the last shot went past him, that was the only moment I thought I could win the match.

“I don’t know what to say, I’m still in shock. I put my heart, my soul, my body, my family, my everything on the line to win Olympic gold.

“At age 37, I finally did it.”

A gutted but gracious Alcaraz, who wept after the defeat, had nothing but praise for Djokovic.

“It’s painful to lose the way I lost this match – I had my chances to probably be up in the match, I couldn’t take it,” he said.

“Novak was playing great. He deserves this. In the tough moments he increased his level. He played unbelievable shots… an unbelievable game.

“I’m a bit disappointed, but honestly, I’ll leave the court with my head really really high. I gave everything I had.

“Fighting for Spain was everything to me. I’m proud with the way I played today.”

That this match was set to become an instant classic was evident from the very beginning, with the Spaniard’s incredible shot-making and court coverage vying for supremacy with Djokovic’s incredible defence and steely-eyed determination to seize his destiny.

Momentum swung back and forth with every passing game. Alcaraz first salvaged a 0-40 scoreline in his second service game with a brilliant volley at the net for 2-2; in the very next game, Djokovic needed to dig deep to save three break points of his own, the 24-time grand slam champion’s serving coming up clutch time and again.

The flashpoint of the match, as it proved, would arrive in the set’s ninth game: five times Alcaraz’s incredible forehand angles and superb drop shots brought him a break point, and a chance to serve for the set, and five times he would be denied. The game took 18 points in all, every one engrossing for a capacity crowd at Stade Roland Garros’ most iconic court.

All up in the set, Djokovic saved eight break points, Alcaraz six. Such was the evenness of the battle that when the inevitable tie-break arrived, it was impossible to say who it would favour.

As it turned out, the answer was the older man: as he has done for the better part of two decades, Djokovic locked in in the tie-break, refusing to make an error, and earned himself a mini-break via a thumping cross-court forehand to dispatch an Alcaraz second serve, before calmly wrapping up a staggering 93-minute first set behind his own serve.

The second set promised more of the same; from 40-0 up in the first game, a patchy two minutes from Alcaraz forced him to stave off another break point, with Djokovic’s use of the drop shot beginning to rival the Spanish wizard’s.

Where Alcaraz had largely controlled proceedings in the first set, despite the scoreline, the second saw Djokovic create more inroads into his opponent’s serve; though the 21-year old dug deep to stave off the threat, a second tie-break began to seem inevitable.

When it arrived, Djokovic could scarcely have set the tone more emphatically, with another stunning cross-court forehand too wide for even Alcaraz to reel in for the first mini-break.

While Alcaraz would get himself back on serve via a rare error from the Serbian, it wouldn’t last long; upping the ante once more as if sensing the looming finish line, Djokovic’s forehand again found its spot to sizzle across court and give the Spaniard no chance.

From there, the end came quickly, Djokovic reeling off the match’s last five points, finishing the job with a powerful forehand down the line, a roar of triumph… and a flood of tears at the arrival of the gong he has coveted most.

Alcaraz will have to settle for silver, and the knowledge that he can again strive for gold at many more Olympics to come; meanwhile, Italian Lorenzo Musetti, bested by Djokovic in the semi-final, claimed bronze by downing Felix Auger-Aliassime in the third place playoff.

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