.PARIS-- For each of his Conquest champions and various other titles, for all of his time at No. 1, Novak Djokovic actually, definitely wanted an Olympic gold award for Serbia, the final significant accomplishment overlooking coming from his glittering ru00e9sumu00e9.He ultimately obtained one at age 37, and no matter a little how long it took.Djokovic beat Carlos Alcaraz 7-6 (3 ), 7-6 (2) in a fascinating and also uniformly matched males's tennis singles final at the 2024 Gamings on Sunday." I put my heart, my soul, my body, my family-- my every little thing-- on the line to succeed Olympic gold," Djokovic claimed. "Unbelievable battle. Amazing match." Publisher's Picks2 RelatedHis excellent occupation already featured a men's- document 24 Grand Slam prizes and also the best full weeks spent atop in the positions through any type of man or even woman. It also already contained a Summertime Olympics medal, coming from 2008, however it was a bronze-- and he made it clear that simply wasn't sufficient.Until he got past bronze champion Lorenzo Musetti of Italy in the semifinals Friday, Djokovic was 0-3 in that cycle at the Gamings. He dropped to the resulting gold champion each time: Rafael Nadal at Beijing in 2008, Andy Murray at London in 2012, and also Alexander Zverev in Tokyo three years ago.Before experiencing Musetti, Djokovic claimed, "I felt like, 'OK, let's make it through this one.' That's why today, prior to the complement, I performed not believe as tense as I will usually believe, because I had actually secured a medal." In Paris, wearing a gray sleeve over the right leg that needed surgery for a torn curve pair of months ago, Djokovic encountered Nadal in the 2nd cycle and removed his long time opponent in straight collections. Currently Djokovic is actually the earliest guy to gain the songs gold in his sporting activity due to the fact that 1908-- as well as he prevented Spain's Alcaraz, who is actually 21, from coming to be the youngest.Serbia's Novak Djokovic falls to his knees after hammering Spain's Carlos Alcaraz to gain his first job gold award. Matthew Stockman/Getty ImagesWhen the triumph was his, due to one last forehand winner, Djokovic switched toward his staff in the stands-- partaking front of his wife and their 2 children-- dropped his racket and knelt on the clay. As psychological as ever, he wailed and covered his face, after that advanced as well as got a red-white-and-blue Serbian flag.After hugs in the positions, Djokovic swung the banner." In the challenging instants, he provided it an added press," Alcaraz stated by means of his very own tears. "It harms to drop enjoy this." The final, which lasted 2 hours, fifty mins even with being actually chosen in just pair of collections, was actually a rematch of the Wimbledon title match 3 weeks ago that Alcaraz won to comply with up his French Open title in June.Alcaraz additionally defeated Djokovic in in 2015's ultimate at the All England Nightclub, yet Djokovic gained when they satisfied in the semifinals of the 2023 French Open, the yearly clay-court competition secured at Roland Garros, the internet site used for ping pong throughout these Olympics.Sunday's competition was actually an appealing competition, including some of the most ideal to ever before perform it in Djokovic, and also the most ideal right now in Alcaraz. Without a doubt, it could possibly have been annoying for Djokovic to find themself once more across the web coming from a younger, faster model of himself. Possibly that is actually why Djokovic frequently found as well as gesticulated and also sputtered toward his attendee box.Still, he triumphed." Honestly, when the swan song underwent him, past him, that was the only instant I really presumed I can gain the match," Djokovic said.It required long exchanges filled with excellent ball-striking, skilled decline gos-- Alcaraz's often tended to become much more prosperous, occasionally so excellent Djokovic dropped to even provide pursuit-- and incredible sprinting, gliding, flexing self defense at each ends. They offered so properly that not either acquired equalized once: Djokovic saved 8 break factors, Alcaraz six.Most remarkable, maybe, was how cleanly each males played, in spite of the skill of the opposition and stress of the occasion.The only pity, maybe, for the supporters-- as well as typically, Alcaraz-- was that the Olympics uses a best-of-three-set format, rather than the best-of-five at Grand Slam competitions. Create indisputable, this meet in between the No. 1-seeded Djokovic and also No. 2-seeded Alcaraz was worthy of a significant final.Those in the positions became part of the program, repeatedly breaking out into carolers of "No-le! No-le!" or "Car-los! Car-los!" that commonly overlapped, creating an operatic fugue. In the 2nd set, as Alcaraz sought to mount a resurgence, his proponents started chanting, "Si, se puede!" (basically, "Yes, you can!") while drinking their red-and-yellow banners. Office chair moderator Damien Dumusois occasionally told people to remain noiseless during the course of the action.Yet the location also came to be as quiet as a theatre between points, enough to ensure that play was delayed briefly when the air close apprehension was punctured by a young child's crying.Both men participated in to the crowd. When Alcaraz competed to arrive at one decrease go and also deposit it over the web for a winner, he indulged in the raucous reaction by directing his appropriate forefinger to his ear. When Djokovic entwined a cross-court forehand victor on the go to cover a 10-shot indicate lead 3-2 in the second sudden death, he swayed both arms overhead to promote individuals that actually were actually standing as well as screaming.The first collection alone lasted greater than 1 1/2 hours, filled with legendary gos as well as epic activities. One video game lasted 18 aspects topped greater than a dozen magical minutes, consisting of five break odds for Alcaraz, just before Djokovic took care of to accommodate for a 5-4 lead. In the sudden death, Djokovic was superior in , as he therefore usually is, taking the last four points.At 3-all, Alcaraz provided a body offer, yet Djokovic moved simply enough to his left to slap a cross-court forehand yield winner. After two mistakes through Alcaraz, Djokovic generated a battery winner as well as relied on experience his household along with a clenched fist hosted high.Another collection, and also one more tiebreaker, eventually, and also Djokovic possessed that award that he really wanted, at lengthy last.When the Serbian national anthem ended up ringing out at Court of law Philippe Chatrier, Djokovic grabbed that gold and took it to his lips for a caress.