Novak Djokovic is the most decorated player in the history of tennis. With 24 Grand Slam titles in his impressive cabinet, the Serbian is regarded as the most successful tennis player of all time by many experts. The only trophy or title that was missing from his glittering showpiece was an Olympic Gold medal.
On Sunday, while playing against his young rival Carlos Alcaraz at Court Phillipe Chatrier, Djokovic added that one missing piece to his career. He won by 7-6, 7-6 against the athletic Spaniard, who has been in top form after winning Roland Garros and Wimbledon.
After winning the final, the emotions overflowed on Djokovic’s face as the victory meant a lot to him while representing Serbia at the Games.
Djokovic won the Bronze medal in the Beijing Olympics but since then he could not get an Olympic medal around his neck.
“I won the bronze in my first Olympic Games (2008) and ever since then failed to win the medal and played three out of four Olympic Games in semi-finals and couldn’t overcome that obstacle,” Djokovic, proudly wearing his medal, told reporters.
“And then now at age 37, with a 21-year-old that is probably the best player in the world right now, winning Roland Garros and Wimbledon back-to-back and playing incredible tennis.
“When I take everything into consideration, this probably is the biggest sporting success I’ve ever had in my career.”
Djokovic was able to up his game in the tiebreaker and went over the line in two hours and 50 minutes.
“Until today I thought that carrying the Serbian flag at the 2012 opening ceremony in London is the best feeling that an athlete could have,” he said.
“This kind of supersedes everything that I imagined, that I hoped that I could experience and that I could feel.”
The Serb admitted he was always going to have his work cut out against the Spaniard.
“When I qualified for the finals, I felt a big relief because that’s the hurdle I wasn’t able to surpass. I did celebrate like I won the tournament. But of course I wanted gold and I knew that I would have to climb the highest mountain there is at the moment, playing Alcaraz.”
