.PARIS-- For each one of his Conquest championships as well as various other headlines, for each of his opportunity at No. 1, Novak Djokovic truly, truly preferred an Olympic gold medal for Serbia, the last significant accomplishment skipping from his glittering ru00e9sumu00e9.He finally received one at grow older 37, and also it matters not a bit for how long it took.Djokovic beat Carlos Alcaraz 7-6 (3 ), 7-6 (2) in a fascinating and uniformly matched men's ping pong singles last at the 2024 Games on Sunday." I put my center, my soul, my body, my loved ones-- my every thing-- on the line to succeed Olympic gold," Djokovic stated. "Fabulous war. Extraordinary battle." Editor's Picks2 RelatedHis remarkable career currently included a males's- document 24 Grand Slam trophies and also the absolute most full weeks invested atop in the ranks by any kind of guy or even girl. It additionally currently contained a Summertime Olympics award, coming from 2008, however it was actually a bronze-- as well as he produced it crystal clear that just had not been sufficient.Until he got past bronze champion Lorenzo Musetti of Italy in the semifinals Friday, Djokovic was 0-3 in that round at the Gamings. He dropped to the resulting gold victor each opportunity: Rafael Nadal at Beijing in 2008, Andy Murray at London in 2012, and Alexander Zverev in Tokyo three years ago.Before dealing with Musetti, Djokovic said, "I felt like, 'OK, permit's get through this.' That's why today, prior to the fit, I carried out not believe as nervous as I would ordinarily experience, due to the fact that I had protected a medal." In Paris, putting on a grey sleeve over the ideal knee that called for surgery for a torn crescent 2 months earlier, Djokovic encountered Nadal in the second round and also eliminated his longtime rival in organized sets. Currently Djokovic is the oldest male to gain the single people gold in his sporting activity since 1908-- and also he stopped Spain's Alcaraz, that is 21, from ending up being the youngest.Serbia's Novak Djokovic falls to his legs after beating Spain's Carlos Alcaraz to win his very first career gold medal. Matthew Stockman/Getty ImagesWhen the triumph was his, because of one last forehand champion, Djokovic transformed toward his group in the positions-- being in front of his other half as well as their 2 children-- lost his noise and also knelt on the clay-based. As mental as ever before, he sobbed and covered his face, at that point advanced as well as got hold of a red-white-and-blue Serbian flag.After hugs in the positions, Djokovic waved the banner." In the challenging instants, he provided it an additional press," Alcaraz stated with his very own tears. "It injures to lose enjoy this." The final, which lasted 2 hrs, fifty moments despite being actually made a decision in simply 2 collections, was actually a rematch of the Wimbledon title match three weeks ago that Alcaraz gained to comply with up his French Open label in June.Alcaraz additionally defeated Djokovic in last year's final at the All of England Club, however Djokovic succeeded when they complied with in the semifinals of the 2023 French Open, the yearly clay-court event kept at Roland Garros, the website utilized for ping pong during the course of these Olympics.Sunday's contest was actually an appealing competition, featuring some of the very best to ever before do it in Djokovic, and also the most ideal right now in Alcaraz. Definitely, it could possibly have been actually discouraging for Djokovic to discover themself once again all over the internet from a younger, faster model of himself. Perhaps that is actually why Djokovic frequently looked up and gestured and sputtered toward his visitor box.Still, he came out on top." Honestly, when the swan song experienced him, past him, that was the only second I really assumed I can easily gain the suit," Djokovic said.It needed long substitutions full of fantastic ball-striking, ingenious drop tries-- Alcaraz's had a tendency to be a lot more prosperous, sometimes therefore great Djokovic dropped to also provide chase-- as well as incredible sprinting, moving, extending self defense at both ends. They served thus effectively that not either received recovered cost when: Djokovic spared eight rest points, Alcaraz six.Most exceptional, possibly, was exactly how precisely both men participated in, regardless of the talent of the resistance and also tension of the occasion.The merely pity, maybe, for the fans-- and also typically, Alcaraz-- was actually that the Olympics utilizes a best-of-three-set layout, as opposed to the best-of-five at Grand Slam tournaments. Make indisputable, this experience in between the No. 1-seeded Djokovic and also No. 2-seeded Alcaraz deserved a primary final.Those in the stands became part of the show, consistently breaking out into carolers of "No-le! No-le!" or even "Car-los! Car-los!" that often overlapped, making a theatrical fugue. In the 2nd set, as Alcaraz sought to install a resurgence, his supporters started shouting, "Si, se puede!" (generally, "Yes, you can!") while drinking their red-and-yellow banners. Seat peacemaker Damien Dumusois occasionally told folks to remain silent in the course of the action.Yet the area likewise became as peaceful as a movie theater in between factors, good enough so that play was actually put off for a while when the sky thick with expectancy was actually punctured by a kid's crying.Both men participated in to the group. When Alcaraz dashed to arrive at one reduce shot as well as deposit it over the web for a champion, he indulged the raucous response by aiming his right forefinger to his ear. When Djokovic tied a cross-court forehand winner on the go to top a 10-shot lead to lead 3-2 in the second tiebreaker, he swayed both upper arms cost to urge people who currently were actually standing as well as screaming.The very first set alone lasted greater than 1 1/2 hours, filled with impressive gos and also impressive video games. One video game lasted 18 points topped more than a dozen mesmerizing mins, including 5 rest possibilities for Alcaraz, just before Djokovic handled to accommodate for a 5-4 lead. In the sudden death, Djokovic was superior in do or die time, as he therefore frequently is actually, taking the final 4 points.At 3-all, Alcaraz supplied a body serve, but Djokovic slid only good enough to his left to slap a cross-court forehand profit victor. After 2 errors by Alcaraz, Djokovic made a volley winner and relied on face his loved ones with a fist conducted high.Another collection, and one more tiebreaker, later on, and Djokovic possessed that medal that he really wanted, at long last.When the Serbian nationwide anthem completed calling out at Court of law Philippe Chatrier, Djokovic reached for that gold and took it to his lips for an embrace.