.PARIS-- For all of his Grand Slam championships and various other headlines, for each of his time at No. 1, Novak Djokovic really, really wanted an Olympic gold award for Serbia, the last notable accomplishment skipping coming from his glittering ru00e9sumu00e9.He finally received one at age 37, and it matters not a little bit how much time it took.Djokovic beat Carlos Alcaraz 7-6 (3 ), 7-6 (2) in a fascinating and uniformly matched guys's ping pong singles final at the 2024 Games on Sunday." I place my heart, my soul, my physical body, my family-- my every little thing-- vulnerable to succeed Olympic gold," Djokovic stated. "Awesome war. Awesome battle." Editor's Picks2 RelatedHis remarkable profession presently featured a guys's- document 24 Conquest prizes as well as the most weeks spent atop in the positions by any sort of man or even female. It additionally presently consisted of a Summer Olympics medal, coming from 2008, but it was actually a bronze-- and he produced it very clear that simply had not been sufficient.Until he got past bronze medalist Lorenzo Musetti of Italy in the semifinals Friday, Djokovic was actually 0-3 in that cycle at the Games. He shed to the ultimate gold champion each opportunity: Rafael Nadal at Beijing in 2008, Andy Murray at Greater London in 2012, as well as Alexander Zverev in Tokyo 3 years ago.Before dealing with Musetti, Djokovic pointed out, "I felt like, 'OK, permit's make it through this set.' That is actually why today, prior to the suit, I performed certainly not experience as tense as I will commonly think, given that I had actually secured an award." In Paris, wearing a grey sleeve over the ideal leg that required surgical operation for a torn lens two months earlier, Djokovic experienced Nadal in the 2nd cycle as well as eliminated his longtime opponent in organized sets. Now Djokovic is the oldest male to win the songs gold in his sporting activity because 1908-- as well as he avoided Spain's Alcaraz, who is actually 21, from coming to be the youngest.Serbia's Novak Djokovic drops to his knees after beating Spain's Carlos Alcaraz to win his first job gold medal. Matthew Stockman/Getty ImagesWhen the success was his, thanks to one last forehand champion, Djokovic transformed toward his crew in the positions-- being in front of his wife as well as their 2 kids-- dropped his noise and knelt on the clay. As emotional as ever before, he wailed as well as covered his face, at that point advanced as well as took hold of a red-white-and-blue Serbian flag.After hugs in the positions, Djokovic waved the banner." In the difficult seconds, he provided it an additional push," Alcaraz stated via his own tears. "It harms to drop similar to this." The final, which lasted 2 hrs, 50 mins despite being actually chosen in only 2 sets, was a rematch of the Wimbledon championship 3 full weeks ago that Alcaraz won to follow up his French Open headline in June.Alcaraz also defeated Djokovic in in 2014's last at the All of England Nightclub, but Djokovic gained when they fulfilled in the semifinals of the 2023 French Open, the yearly clay-court event secured at Roland Garros, the site utilized for tennis during the course of these Olympics.Sunday's competition was an appealing match, featuring among the best to ever before perform it in Djokovic, and the greatest at the moment in Alcaraz. Certainly, it might possess been actually annoying for Djokovic to discover themself once again all over the web from a more youthful, faster model of himself. Maybe that's why Djokovic frequently looked up as well as gestured and also sputtered toward his guest box.Still, he triumphed." Frankly, when the last shot looked at him, past him, that was the only second I actually assumed I may win the match," Djokovic said.It demanded long substitutions filled with outstanding ball-striking, ingenious reduce gos-- Alcaraz's usually tended to become much more productive, often so excellent Djokovic decreased to even provide chase-- and tremendous sprinting, sliding, flexing protection at each ends. They offered so well that neither acquired equalized when: Djokovic conserved eight rest points, Alcaraz six.Most amazing, probably, was actually just how easily each males participated in, regardless of the skill of the hostility and tension of the occasion.The simply pity, possibly, for the fans-- and normally, Alcaraz-- was actually that the Olympics utilizes a best-of-three-set format, instead of the best-of-five at Conquest events. Produce no mistake, this conflict between the No. 1-seeded Djokovic as well as No. 2-seeded Alcaraz deserved a primary final.Those in the positions became part of the series, frequently bursting out into carolers of "No-le! No-le!" or even "Car-los! Car-los!" that frequently overlapped, creating a sonant fugue. In the 2nd set, as Alcaraz sought to position a comeback, his supporters began chanting, "Si, se puede!" (essentially, "Yes, you can!") while trembling their red-and-yellow flags. Chair moderator Damien Dumusois periodically told people to stay silent in the course of the action.Yet the spot additionally came to be as silent as a theatre between factors, enough to ensure that play was actually delayed quickly when the sky thick with anticipation was actually punctured through a kid's crying.Both men participated in to the crowd. When Alcaraz raced to reach one reduce chance and also down payment it over the net for a victor, he basked in the rowdy response by aiming his ideal forefinger to his ear. When Djokovic laced a cross-court forehand victor on the run to cap a 10-shot suggest lead 3-2 in the 2nd tiebreaker, he swayed both upper arms cost to urge people who currently were actually standing up and also screaming.The initial set alone lasted more than 1 1/2 hours, loaded with epic gos as well as impressive games. One game lasted 18 points topped more than a number of enchanting mins, consisting of 5 rest opportunities for Alcaraz, just before Djokovic managed to carry for a 5-4 lead. In the sudden death, Djokovic was superior in , as he so typically is, taking the last 4 points.At 3-all, Alcaraz provided a body system serve, but Djokovic moved simply enough to his left to smack a cross-court forehand profit champion. After two oversights by Alcaraz, Djokovic produced a volley champion and also relied on experience his family members along with a first had high.Another set, and yet another sudden death, later on, and also Djokovic possessed that medal that he preferred, at long last.When the Serbian national anthem ended up sounding out at Court Philippe Chatrier, Djokovic reached for that gold and also took it to his lips for a kiss.