The Final Piece!
- Arjun Peroor
- Aug 5, 2024
- 2 min read
Novak Djokovic defeated Carlos Alcaraz in the Gold Medal match in the 2024 Paris Olympics in straight sets but it was as hard-fought as could get as he won both sets 7-6 7-6. I could not catch most of the match as it started at 4 AM here in Colorado but I was fortunate enough to see the waning moments of the second set. Novak was vintage Novak making incredible saves and winning points he had no business winning. Carlos played extremely well but made a few unforced errors hitting the net during the tiebreak in the second set, which ultimately was why he finished second place.
Seeing how Djokovic celebrated the victory showed how much this one in particular meant for him. His track record had not been great in the Olympics. In his previous 4 appearances, he was unable to capture any medal. But then on his 5th, and most likely final, appearance in the Olympics, he was able to win gold. After winning the Gold Medal point, he was extremely emotional as he immediately started crying after the victory as he was just soaking up the moment. This showed me how much it meant to athletes to be able to represent their country and come out on top. Novak in particular, has won everything you can win in tennis in terms of grand slams and ATP 1000 tours but the missing piece that he had on his resume was that gold medal.
In a calendar year where he has dealt with a knee injury, he has not won any of the slams in 2024 and the last time we saw him vs Alcaraz, he looked like his age as he dropped the Wimbledon final in straight sets to him. But to see him bounce back and return the favor to the 21-year-old sensation was incredible to see especially at the age of 37. He is constantly reminding the fans and his competitors that he is still here to stay. His being ranked number 1 is living proof of that.
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