.PARIS-- For each one of his Conquest championships and various other labels, for all of his opportunity at No. 1, Novak Djokovic really, truly preferred an Olympic gold medal for Serbia, the last significant accomplishment overlooking from his glittering ru00e9sumu00e9.He finally received one at grow older 37, and it does not matter a bit the length of time it took.Djokovic beat Carlos Alcaraz 7-6 (3 ), 7-6 (2) in a fascinating and also uniformly matched men's ping pong singles last at the 2024 Gamings on Sunday." I put my soul, my soul, my body, my family-- my every little thing-- vulnerable to succeed Olympic gold," Djokovic said. "Incredible battle. Incredible match." Editor's Picks2 RelatedHis outstanding profession currently included a men's- file 24 Conquest prizes as well as the most weeks invested atop in the rankings through any sort of male or even female. It likewise presently had a Summer season Olympics award, coming from 2008, but it was a bronze-- and he produced it very clear that merely had not been sufficient.Until he surpassed bronze champion Lorenzo Musetti of Italy in the semifinals Friday, Djokovic was 0-3 in that cycle at the Gamings. He shed to the resulting gold champion each opportunity: Rafael Nadal at Beijing in 2008, Andy Murray at Greater London in 2012, and also Alexander Zverev in Tokyo 3 years ago.Before dealing with Musetti, Djokovic claimed, "I was like, 'OK, permit's make it through this one.' That's why today, before the fit, I carried out certainly not experience as worried as I would typically experience, since I had actually secured a medal." In Paris, putting on a gray sleeve over the ideal leg that required surgical operation for a torn meniscus pair of months back, Djokovic experienced Nadal in the second cycle and removed his longtime competitor in organized sets. Right now Djokovic is the oldest guy to win the songs gold in his sport considering that 1908-- and he stopped Spain's Alcaraz, who is 21, coming from ending up being the youngest.Serbia's Novak Djokovic loses to his knees after hammering Spain's Carlos Alcaraz to gain his initial career gold medal. Matthew Stockman/Getty ImagesWhen the success was his, due to one last forehand champion, Djokovic turned toward his staff in the stands-- being in front of his spouse as well as their 2 youngsters-- lost his noise and also knelt on the clay. As mental as ever before, he cried as well as covered his face, then rose as well as grabbed a red-white-and-blue Serbian flag.After caress in the stands, Djokovic swayed the banner." In the challenging moments, he provided it an additional press," Alcaraz said with his very own splits. "It injures to drop such as this." The final, which lasted 2 hrs, 50 minutes in spite of being made a decision in merely two sets, was a rematch of the Wimbledon championship 3 full weeks ago that Alcaraz succeeded to follow up his French Open label in June.Alcaraz also defeated Djokovic in in 2013's last at the All England Club, yet Djokovic gained when they complied with in the semifinals of the 2023 French Open, the yearly clay-court tournament secured at Roland Garros, the site utilized for ping pong in the course of these Olympics.Sunday's competition was a fascinating competition, including among the very best to ever perform it in Djokovic, as well as the most ideal currently in Alcaraz. Without a doubt, it might have been actually disheartening for Djokovic to locate himself once again around the net coming from a younger, faster variation of himself. Maybe that's why Djokovic often sought out as well as gesticulated and also sputtered toward his guest box.Still, he came out on top." Frankly, when the last shot experienced him, past him, that was the only second I actually believed I can gain the match," Djokovic said.It needed long exchanges loaded with superb ball-striking, skilled decline tries-- Alcaraz's tended to become more productive, sometimes thus really good Djokovic dropped to also provide pursuit-- and also significant sprinting, sliding, extending defense at each ends. They provided therefore well that not either obtained broken even as soon as: Djokovic conserved eight rest factors, Alcaraz six.Most outstanding, maybe, was how easily each guys participated in, regardless of the talent of the opposition and stress of the occasion.The just pity, maybe, for the fans-- and typically, Alcaraz-- was actually that the Olympics utilizes a best-of-three-set style, as opposed to the best-of-five at Grand Slam tournaments. Make indisputable, this experience between the No. 1-seeded Djokovic as well as No. 2-seeded Alcaraz deserved a significant final.Those in the stands entered into the series, repeatedly bursting out right into choruses of "No-le! No-le!" or even "Car-los! Car-los!" that frequently overlapped, producing an orchestral fugue. In the second set, as Alcaraz sought to install a return, his followers began chanting, "Si, se puede!" (generally, "Yes, you can!") while trembling their red-and-yellow banners. Office chair moderator Damien Dumusois sometimes helped remind individuals to remain noiseless during the course of the action.Yet the place also became as peaceful as a theatre between factors, enough to make sure that play was postponed temporarily when the air close apprehension was actually pierced by a child's crying.Both men participated in to the group. When Alcaraz dashed to arrive at one decline shot and also deposit it over the internet for a champion, he indulged in the rowdy reaction by aiming his correct forefinger to his ear. When Djokovic tied a cross-court forehand victor on the go to top a 10-shot point to lead 3-2 in the 2nd sudden death, he waved both arms overhead to promote individuals who currently were standing up and also screaming.The first set alone lasted much more than 1 1/2 hours, loaded with legendary shots and also legendary video games. One video game lasted 18 factors spread over greater than a loads thrilling moments, consisting of five break chances for Alcaraz, before Djokovic dealt with to hold for a 5-4 lead. In the tiebreaker, Djokovic transcended in , as he therefore usually is, taking the final four points.At 3-all, Alcaraz provided a physical body offer, yet Djokovic slid merely good enough to his left to slap a cross-court forehand profit champion. After pair of oversights by Alcaraz, Djokovic generated a volley victor and also relied on encounter his family with a clenched fist had high.Another set, as well as an additional tiebreaker, eventually, and Djokovic had that medal that he wanted, at long last.When the Serbian national anthem completed sounding out at Court Philippe Chatrier, Djokovic grabbed that gold and took it to his lips for a caress.