Novak Djokovic at Olympics: A Victory Years in the Making

Novak Djokovic won the gold medal match against Carlos Alcaraz to complete his collection of major honors. The Serbian tennis star had to wait until his fifth Olympics to get his hands on the gold medal. It was a career-defining moment for one of the greats.

The 37-year-old was on the top of his game against the Wimbledon and French Open champion. Novak won the match in straight sets (7-6, 7-6). Both sets went into tie-breaker and Novak dominated the game.

He said, “Winning the Olympics is the pinnacle of an athlete’s career.”

Novak Djokovic won Bronze in Beijing

The 37-year-old has won the most Grand Slams in the open era. He is the most decorated player in the history of the sport. Novak started his incredible journey by winning the Australian Open in 2008. He also won the bronze medal in the Beijing 2008 Olympics. This was just the start that Novak needed.

Read Also: Alcaraz And Djokovic Made It To the Olympic Final

Novak Djokovic Struggles in London, Brazil & Tokyo

After failing to win any Grand Slam in 2009 and 2010, Djokovic went on to win the Australian Open, Wimbledon, and US Open in 2011. His next aim was to win an Olympic Gold. In London 2012, Andy Murray shattered his dreams in the semi-final. Novak failed to win any medal. Novak never backed down and continued winning Grand Slams.

Read Also: Alcaraz Makes History with Great Victory over Djokovic

Disappointing 2016

The 2016 games at Rio de Janeiro were the most disappointing for Djokovic. He was knocked out in the first round by Juan Martin Del Potro. Novak tried his luck in Tokyo 2020. He reached the semi-final stage but was denied his second medal. During this time, Novak faced several issues and could not play in a couple of Grand Slams. The Serbian decided not to take the COVID-19 vaccine. He was prohibited from playing at Australian Open 2022 and the US Open 2022. Novak never backed down and won three Grand Slams in 2023.

Record breaker

Novak Djokovic has several records to his name. He is the only player to register 24 Grand Slam wins. These include 10 Australian Open, 3 French Open, 7 Wimbledon, and 4 US Open. He became the third player after Andre Agassi and Rafael Nadal to win all Grand Slams and Olympic gold.

The 37-year-old was ranked the No. 1 male tennis player for 428 weeks. Novak has surpassed the likes of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. Both these players were very highly rated in the modern era. Federer was a bit old and he faded away towards the end of his career. Nadal struggled with injuries and will retire from the sport. Despite facing such challenges Djokovic stood at the top.

Novak has 72 honors to his name. Apart from 24 Grand Slams and an Olympic gold, the Serb has won seven ATP Finals and 40 ATP 1000. Rafael Nadal has won 59 times and Federer has 54 titles.

The records show why Novak Djokovic is the greatest tennis player.