Paris: Novak Djokovic secured the elusive Olympic gold medal, defeating Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz in the final of the Paris Olympics to complete the career ‘Golden Slam.’ The Serbian legend, already a record-holder with 24 major titles, won 7-6(3), 7-6(2) in straight sets.
This victory cements his place in tennis history as one of only five players to achieve the ‘Golden Slam’—winning all four Grand Slam titles and the Olympic gold—alongside Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams, Andre Agassi, and Steffi Graf.
Djokovic won a bronze medal in singles at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, finished just off the podium in fourth place in London in 2012, and experienced a devastating early exit in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.
Most recently, he fell short in the bronze-medal match at the Tokyo Olympics.
Facing French Open and Wimbledon winner Carlos Alcaraz, the Serbian star delivered his best performance of the year. Djokovic was pushed to the limit, particularly in the first set where he faced eight breakpoints.
However, he displayed remarkable composure and resilience, saving each one and capitalising on Alcaraz’s mistakes in the tie-breaks. His clinical performance in both tie-breaks highlighted his experience and mental fortitude, proving decisive in the tightly contested match.
Djokovic has recently lost to Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final, going down 6-1, 6-7, 1-6, 6-3, 4-6 in five sets.
–IANS