NOVAK DJOKOVIC FINALLY COMPLETES THE CAREER GOLDEN SLAM AFTER BEATING CARLOS ALCAREZ TO WIN GOLD IN HIS FIFTH OLYMPIC GAMES... BEFORE TEARFUL SERBIAN JUMPS INTO THE CROWD TO KISS HIS WIFE

Novak Djokovic beat Carlos Alcaraz 7-6 7-6 to win Olympic gold at Paris 2024
He is now the fifth singles player in tennis history to win a career Golden Slam
The others are Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams, Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf

Now, there’s nothing left to prove. Which is why Novak Djokovic cried tears of joy on the red clay of Roland Garros.

Finally, he is an Olympic champion – beating Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (7-2) – and thus the final omission from the most comprehensive CV tennis has known is filled.

It was a compelling duel in front of a 15,000-strong crowd. And, after 2hr 50min, it was hard not to feel sympathy for the loser, if he can called be such, for Alcaraz was a hero no matter that his silver medal was of little immediate consolation.

The 21-year-old cried, too, but for more painful reasons than his vanquisher, though his chance should come again.

You couldn’t promise that of Novak. He is 37 now and will be 41 in Los Angeles in 2028. His realisation of a finite deadline no doubt went into the manner of his celebrations.

After he picked himself off the clay, he sat in his chair and wept before taking the Serbian flag he had been handed. He climbed into the stands of Court Philippe-Chatrier to hug his wife, Jelena, and daughter, Tara, six.

Tara may not be able to absorb the full extent of her father’s accomplishment yet, but she can be proud that he stands as one of only five greats to have pulled off the career ‘Golden Slam’ of Wimbledon and the French, US and Australian Opens – and Olympic gold. Steffi Graf, in 1998, Andre Agassi, completed in 1999, Rafael Nadal, in 2010, and Serena Williams, in 2012, are the others.

‘Three out of four Olympic Games, I lost in the semi-finals. I won a bronze medal in Beijing. I carried the flag for Serbia in 2012, in London, which was one of the best feelings I ever had in my life.

‘I didn’t know until today that there’s even a better feeling – winning a gold for your country.

‘This supersedes everything that I’ve ever felt on the tennis court. It’s incredible joy.’

Remarkably, Djokovic triumphed despite damaging his meniscus during the French Open in June. He wore strapping on his right knee throughout the Olympic tournament.

But rather than having a full surgical repair, which involves stitching the damaged area back together, followed by weeks in a knee brace, he had the area filed down with a ‘duckbill punch’ tool.

He needed treatment for a flare-up here in his quarter-final win over Stefanos Tsitsipas. A lover of setting new records, nothing would easily have stopped him. Anyway, he is now moving far more easily than in the Wimbledon final when Alcaraz made light work of him.

On Sunday, it was gruelling for them both. Neither broke the other’s serve once, despite break points galore. It was that tight.

With his inventiveness, youthfulness and manoeuvrability, Alcaraz was brilliant, no lost cause beyond his athleticism. As for his forehand it flew as fast and effectively as an Exocet. Has there ever been a more deadly weapon in tennis? And then there are his dextrous drops shots to contend with.

Ah, and then you come up against Djokovic. He was like a wall, and you could only marvel at his resilience and courtcraft. As little Tara’s sign declared: ‘Dad’s the best.’

He’s certainly the flintiest, and that may amount to pretty much the same thing.

2024-08-04T15:45:08Z dg43tfdfdgfd