.PARIS-- For every one of his Conquest champions as well as various other titles, for all of his opportunity at No. 1, Novak Djokovic really, truly yearned for an Olympic gold award for Serbia, the final significant achievement overlooking coming from his glittering ru00e9sumu00e9.He lastly received one at age 37, and never mind a little bit for how long it took.Djokovic beat Carlos Alcaraz 7-6 (3 ), 7-6 (2) in an enthralling as well as uniformly matched men's ping pong songs final at the 2024 Gamings on Sunday." I place my center, my soul, my physical body, my family members-- my everything-- vulnerable to gain Olympic gold," Djokovic stated. "Extraordinary fight. Amazing match." Editor's Picks2 RelatedHis remarkable profession actually included a males's- record 24 Grand Slam prizes and also the most weeks devoted atop in the ranks by any type of male or female. It additionally already had a Summer Olympics award, from 2008, yet it was a bronze-- and he made it very clear that just wasn't sufficient.Until he got past bronze medalist Lorenzo Musetti of Italy in the semifinals Friday, Djokovic was actually 0-3 because round at the Games. He dropped to the ultimate gold victor each time: Rafael Nadal at Beijing in 2008, Andy Murray at Greater London in 2012, as well as Alexander Zverev in Tokyo three years ago.Before dealing with Musetti, Djokovic mentioned, "I felt like, 'OK, let's survive this one.' That is actually why today, just before the match, I performed not think as worried as I will commonly think, considering that I had actually gotten a medal." In Paris, using a grey sleeve over the right knee that called for surgical operation for a torn lens two months earlier, Djokovic encountered Nadal in the 2nd cycle as well as eliminated his long time opponent in straight collections. Right now Djokovic is the oldest man to win the single people gold in his sport due to the fact that 1908-- as well as he protected against Spain's Alcaraz, that is actually 21, coming from becoming the youngest.Serbia's Novak Djokovic loses to his legs after beating Spain's Carlos Alcaraz to win his first occupation gold medal. Matthew Stockman/Getty ImagesWhen the triumph was his, because of one last forehand champion, Djokovic transformed toward his team in the positions-- sitting in front of his better half as well as their pair of youngsters-- lost his racket as well as knelt on the clay. As emotional as ever, he sobbed as well as covered his face, then progressed and also took hold of a red-white-and-blue Serbian flag.After caress in the positions, Djokovic swayed the flag." In the hard moments, he provided it an extra push," Alcaraz pointed out with his personal splits. "It injures to shed like this." The ultimate, which lasted 2 hours, fifty minutes in spite of being actually chosen in merely two collections, was a rematch of the Wimbledon championship 3 full weeks ago that Alcaraz won to observe up his French Open title in June.Alcaraz likewise beat Djokovic in in 2015's ultimate at the All of England Club, however Djokovic succeeded when they fulfilled in the semifinals of the 2023 French Open, the annual clay-court tournament kept at Roland Garros, the internet site utilized for ping pong throughout these Olympics.Sunday's contest was an appealing matchup, including one of the very best to ever before perform it in Djokovic, and the very best right now in Alcaraz. Undoubtedly, it could possibly have been actually irritating for Djokovic to find themself once more around the web coming from a more youthful, faster version of themself. Maybe that's why Djokovic regularly looked up and gestured and murmured toward his attendee box.Still, he came out on top." Truthfully, when the swan song went through him, past him, that was the only instant I in fact assumed I may succeed the match," Djokovic said.It required long swaps loaded with superb ball-striking, ingenious decline tries-- Alcaraz's usually tended to be more successful, sometimes so excellent Djokovic decreased to even provide pursuit-- as well as tremendous sprinting, sliding, flexing defense at each ends. They offered therefore effectively that neither received equalized as soon as: Djokovic spared 8 break aspects, Alcaraz six.Most exceptional, maybe, was actually just how safely both guys participated in, regardless of the ability of the opposition as well as pressure of the occasion.The simply shame, probably, for the supporters-- and also normally, Alcaraz-- was that the Olympics uses a best-of-three-set layout, as opposed to the best-of-five at Grand Slam competitions. Help make no mistake, this conflict between the No. 1-seeded Djokovic and No. 2-seeded Alcaraz was worthy of a primary final.Those in the positions became part of the series, consistently breaking out in to choruses of "No-le! No-le!" or even "Car-los! Car-los!" that frequently overlapped, generating an orchestral fugue. In the 2nd set, as Alcaraz sought to mount a return, his advocates started shouting, "Si, se puede!" (practically, "Yes, you can!") while shaking their red-and-yellow banners. Office chair peacemaker Damien Dumusois periodically advised folks to continue to be noiseless throughout the action.Yet the spot additionally ended up being as silent as a movie theater in between factors, sufficient so that play was actually postponed for a while when the air close anticipation was actually punctured by a young kid's crying.Both guys played to the crowd. When Alcaraz competed to reach one decline go as well as deposit it over the internet for a victor, he indulged in the raucous response through directing his best index finger to his ear. When Djokovic laced a cross-court forehand winner on the run to top a 10-shot suggest lead 3-2 in the second sudden death, he swayed both arms cost to motivate folks that actually were standing up and also screaming.The first set alone lasted more than 1 1/2 hrs, full of epic gos and impressive games. One game lasted 18 aspects topped greater than a dozen exciting minutes, including 5 break odds for Alcaraz, prior to Djokovic dealt with to carry for a 5-4 top. In the tiebreaker, Djokovic transcended in , as he thus typically is actually, taking the final four points.At 3-all, Alcaraz delivered a body provide, yet Djokovic glided only enough to his left to smack a cross-court forehand yield champion. After pair of mistakes through Alcaraz, Djokovic made a volley winner as well as turned to face his household with a first conducted high.Another set, as well as yet another sudden death, eventually, and also Djokovic had that medal that he yearned for, at long last.When the Serbian national anthem completed ringing out at Court of law Philippe Chatrier, Djokovic reached for that gold and took it to his lips for an embrace.