The best version of Novak Djokovic, the one necessary to survive Hurricane Carlos Alcaraz, removed the Spaniard from the path to gold and, finally, crowned him as Olympic champion, in Paris 2024, with a victory by 7-6 (3) and 7-6 (2), the only major success that remained pending in his unmatched record and that left his rival on the verge of another legendary record.
A top-level match between the two best of the moment highlighted the ambition of a player who refuses to descend from the pedestal on which history has placed him in front of a gifted student, a naturally privileged person who is aiming to become a legendary athlete.
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The most brilliant Djokovic, like a champion, has closed the circle and buried his Olympic obsession. It was late, but it arrived. The oldest to compete in a final of the Games, to win gold, is among the chosen ones.
He has already won his Golden Slam. The four Grand Slams and the gold medal at the Games. On a par with Andre Agassi, Steffi Graf, Rafael Nadal, and Serena Williams, present at one end of the Philippe Chatrier court, whose stands did not hide their unconditional support for the Serbian from start to finish.
It was also revenge for Nole, who was knocked out of the court in their last face-to-face meeting, less than a month ago, at Wimbledon. Alcaraz then managed to win in three sets, in one go, and add his third victory against the Serbian in six matches played. With these numbers, they arrived at the Paris event.
There is no objective that can resist, sooner or later, the winner of twenty-four Grand Slams, who came to the event with the lesson learned and with the necessary physique to hold his own against an opponent sixteen years younger.
Carlos Alcaraz did not disappoint, as he played a magnificent rival throughout the match. On the contrary, only the details, two tie-breaks, prevented him from achieving the third Olympic gold medal for Spain, the second individual one, after Nadal’s in Beijing 2008, to which he added the doubles in Rio with Marc Lopez.
The youngest to reach an Olympic final fell to the oldest, the guy who expected he would not make it to the last train and who held on tight, in a great moment, in recovery to get his second Olympic prize after the bronze in Beijing 2008, and a big prize in a lackluster year, displaced by the furor of new players like Alcaraz himself or the Italian Jannik Sinner.
He was just one of the third players to win Roland Garros, Wimbledon, and the Olympics in the same season, following in Nadal’s footsteps, which he continues in many ways. Alcaraz, the fourth Spaniard to play in a singles final, is alongside Jordi Arrese and Sergi Bruguera, the others who won silver.
And it was just a little while, in a tough and bitter fight that lasted almost three hours, hand to hand on a court where he triumphed weeks ago, at Roland Garros. But there are no stages too big for the Murcia native.
There have been several occasions and great places where Carlos Alcaraz has not felt the impact, he has not been influenced by the magnitude of an event, by history, or by his rival. Even though the enemy has more experience than anyone else and more glory than anyone else. In fact, it has been less than a month since the Spaniards overcame the Serbians. It is because he has talent, a lot of talent, self-confidence, and impudence, in addition to an extraordinary head, a winning character, and the freshness of youth.
The Philippe Chatrier court is loyal to Rafael Nadal, but not to Carlos Alcaraz, who has just planted the flag on the Parisian clay and who, despite winning the Roland Garros championship a few weeks ago, does not enjoy the fervor of the crowd. It was unusual to hear the French fan so passionately in favor of Novak Djokovic, who was given encouragement in every exchange or in every moment of tension in the game.
The level of tennis was such during many moments that both sides found an answer to each setback. And there were some. There were moments of break in the first set that could have quickly tipped the balance in favor of the Serbian to which Alcaraz responded with confidence. The tennis player from El Palmar also had his own, as in the fifth game. No one with more experience than the winner of twenty-four Grand Slams who found in the first serve a great ally.
Even clearer was the ninth, in which Alcaraz had five break points. It was the longest set. The Serbian kept up his game, riddled with arguments, and held on to his serve to remain ahead (5-4). It was a key moment in the match, or at least in the set. Djokovic recovered and the game continued, each player clinging to his serve.
In a duel of such level, the details count twice as much. That was how the first set was decided with the pulse pushed to the extreme. The tie was decided. And that was where the Belgrade player was better, taking advantage, with a precise, impeccable return, and extending the advantage. And he did not forgive. He took the set, going ahead after one hour and 36 minutes of play—only one set.
The advantage did not distract Djokovic, a magician in the concentration that he imposes on his mind in any situation. Disconnections are more frequent in Alcaraz, who can almost always afford it. The loss of the set hurt him and affected him. Even so, he did not lose face and won the games.
The constant body-to-body confrontation did not stop. Each player held his serve, with fewer chances of breaking than in the first set, and once again decided the tie-break. The Serbian is an expert at this, and, just like in the previous set, was better.
He defined his twentieth Olympic victory, more than anyone else, the key points, survived the moments of anxiety, and sentenced at the precise moment. He returned to his best version to give him the desired success, end his obsession and deprive Alcaraz, erratic in the ‘tie breaks’, of the race for gold. The Serbian closed the circle.
