Between his file 24 majors, 40 ATP 1000 titles and 7 ATP Finals wins, Novak Djokovic already had a bulletproof case for the best of all time. The one piece of {hardware} lacking from his trophy case — an Olympic gold medal — was additionally secured Sunday when he defeated Carlos Alcaraz in Paris.
After the win, the Serb admitted feeling a way of success from successful an Olympic gold medal that he did not attain even in spite of everything these main wins and the years spent as World No. 1.
“This sort of supersedes all the things I imagined and hoped I may expertise and really feel, Djokovic informed the media. “The very fact I received Bronze within the first Olympics [2008] and ever since did not win a medal. I performed three out of 4 Olympic video games within the semifinals and could not overcome the impediment. And now, at age 37, in opposition to a 21-year-old who might be the perfect participant on this planet [Alcaraz]…once I take all the things into consideration, that is in all probability the most important sporting success I’ve ever had in my profession.”
Djokovic additionally grew to become the oldest Olympic gold medalist for the reason that 1988 Seoul Olympics the place Czechia’s Miloslav Mecir went the gap at age 38. Because of his age and up to date harm historical past — to not point out back-to-back Wimbledon finals losses to Alcaraz — Djokovic went into Sunday’s match because the underdog. It is why his feelings received the perfect of him when he beat the Spaniard 7-6, 7-6 at Roland Garros.
