On Monday, the day after Novak Djokovic achieved his maiden Olympic men’s singles gold medal in Paris, a sunny day and a blue sky welcomed Serbia’s prodigy son at Champions Park to celebrate with thousands of people a lifetime feat he described as “the pinnacle of an athletes career.”
The third man to complete the Golden Slam, giving a first-ever gold medal in tennis to his country, proudly displayed the ultimate prize he waited almost 20 years to earn and the Serbian flag over his shoulders with the Eiffel Tower as an illustrious witness to a historic moment in Paris.
In a post shared on his Instagram official account, the images that registered the celebration in the City of Lights.
On Sunday, Novak Djokovic overpowered Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz with an epic 7-6(3), 7-6(2) triumph, accomplishing the feat of a lifetime by claiming his maiden Olympic gold medal and career Golden Slam at age 37, barely short of three hours at Roland-Garros Stadium.
Speaking to the press, the Belgrade-born outlined: “It stands out as the biggest sporting achievement I’ve had because of all the circumstances and all the things along the journey that I had to face.”
The Golden Slam consists of winning all four majors and the Olympic gold medal, a feat only four players achieved before him: Steffi Graf, Andre Agassi, Serena Williams, and Rafael Nadal.
“I’m just over the moon, honestly. Everything that I felt in that moment when I won surpassed everything I thought or hoped it was going to be,” he added.
“I thought that carrying the flag in the opening ceremony in 2012 was the best feeling ever until I experienced this today. Being on that court with the Serbian flag raising and singing the Serbian anthem and carrying that gold around my neck, I think nothing can beat that in terms of professional sports.”
A packed Court Philippe-Chatrier, a scenario home to greatness, witnessed a memorable Olympic gold medal match courtesy of two extraordinary athletes who graced the court, displaying nothing but excellence to write history at the Paris Olympics on Sunday afternoon.
After the emotional medal ceremony, the 99-time titlist commented: “We almost played three hours for two sets. It was an incredible battle, an incredible fight.
“When the last shot went past him, that was the only moment I thought I could win the match. I believed I could win, but to actually win it, because he keeps on coming back. He keeps asking me to play my best tennis,” he recalled.
A fiercely tight opening set saw both players showcasing their best tennis under pressure, an outstanding battle of resilience and athleticism from the onset.
During the first set alone, combined, they generated 13 opportunities (5 Djokovic, 8 Alcaraz); none could find an edge to break serve, which led to a tiebreak the Serbian eventually took 7-6 (3) after 93 minutes.
Despite the intense rhythm imposed by the players, they picked it up where they left off to start the second set on a high note.
Djokovic remained solid behind his serve, using the serve-and-volley strategy when he deemed it convenient.
With the scoreboard even at 3-3, the oldest gold medalist in the Olympic Tennis event since Seul 1988 did not hesitate in kicking up a level to force a second set tiebreak.
A nail-biter, he notched with a forehand groundstroke winner, closing proceedings 7-6 (2), and the rest is history.
“I’m still in shock, honestly. 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,” he stated.
Nonetheless, one of the greatest athletes of all time, who did not drop a set throughout his fifth Olympic appearance, did not arrive on French soil as the favorite to shine in gold, having failed to clinch a title ahead of the event.
Moreover, two months ago, the 24-time Grand Slam champion’s presence in Paris was surrounded by question marks.
Forced to withdraw from the French Open quarterfinals due to a torn medial meniscus in his right knee, he underwent surgery, raising concerns about his fitness.
Against the odds, he came back at tour level to contest Wimbledon, advancing to the final, an impressive feat already, considering such a short recovery time.
In the championship match staged last July in London, his campaign concluded at the hands of defending champion Alcaraz.
Meanwhile, the 21-year-old from Murcia will bring home a silver medal on his debut at the Olympic games, the youngest men’s Olympic singles finalist in history.
Italian Lorenzo Musetti, who fell to Djokovic in the semifinals, won the bronze medal by beating Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 on Saturday.
Musetti, 22, also left his mark at the Games, becoming the first Italian medalist since Uberto De Morpurgo at Paris 1924.
