Djokovic’s résumé now complete with Olympic gold and Golden Slam

PARIS — Novak Djokovic walked back out onto the court at Philippe-Chatrier and dropped to his knees.

As the fans in the crowd — still waving a mixture of Serbian and Spanish flags — stood collectively on their feet, loudly cheering and with their phones pointed directly at him, Djokovic slumped over with his head on the ground, still in disbelief. He eventually lifted his head up and pointed to the sky.

A lifelong dream realized. 🥹

Novak Djokovic is overcome by emotion after winning his first Olympic gold medal. #ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/g7GI6cxmYa

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 4, 2024

When he walked to sit in his chair, some 50 seconds later, he leaned back with a towel on his face and sobbed.

More than 20 years after his first match victory on the ATP Tour, 16 years after his debut major title, and in his fifth Olympic appearance, Djokovic had finally achieved the one title, the one line on his résumé, that had eluded him:

Olympic gold medalist.

He had needed tiebreaks in both sets to defeat Carlos Alcaraz, his 21-year-old rival from Spain, who had defeated him in the Wimbledon final just three weeks earlier. The two had battled with one electric rally after another. But after two hours and 50 minutes, it was Djokovic who would emerge victorious, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (2).

As he cried with his family in the stands — his body shaking as he clutched onto his children and the Serbian flag — and when he proudly sang the national anthem on the medal podium, it was clear this moment meant everything to him. Even to a man who had achieved virtually everything else in the sport, including a record-tying 24 Grand Slam titles, bringing home the gold medal to his beloved country was a life’s dream accomplished.

“I’m just over the moon. Honestly, everything that I felt in that moment when I won really surpassed everything I thought or hoped that it [was] going to be,” Djokovic told a room full of reporters on Sunday night, with the gold medal still around his neck and the Serbian flag wrapped around his shoulders. “I thought carrying the flag at the [2012 Olympic] opening ceremony was the best feeling ever until I experienced today. Being on that court with [the] Serbian flag raising and singing [the] Serbian anthem and wearing the gold [medal] around my neck, I think nothing can beat that in terms of professional sport.”