.PARIS-- For each one of his Conquest championships and various other headlines, for every one of his opportunity at No. 1, Novak Djokovic truly, really yearned for an Olympic gold award for Serbia, the final substantial accomplishment skipping from his glittering ru00e9sumu00e9.He lastly received one at age 37, as well as it doesn't matter a little how long it took.Djokovic beat Carlos Alcaraz 7-6 (3 ), 7-6 (2) in an enthralling as well as uniformly matched guys's ping pong singles ultimate at the 2024 Gamings on Sunday." I place my heart, my spirit, my body, my family-- my every thing-- vulnerable to win Olympic gold," Djokovic mentioned. "Astonishing battle. Incredible battle." Publisher's Picks2 RelatedHis outstanding occupation already featured a men's- document 24 Grand Slam prizes as well as the most full weeks invested atop in the ranks through any kind of guy or female. It also already contained a Summertime Olympics award, coming from 2008, however it was actually a bronze-- and he created it clear that merely had not been sufficient.Until he got past bronze medalist Lorenzo Musetti of Italy in the semifinals Friday, Djokovic was 0-3 in that cycle at the Video games. He shed to the resulting 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 facing Musetti, Djokovic stated, "I felt like, 'OK, permit's get through this set.' That is actually why today, before the complement, I performed not think as tense as I will generally feel, given that I had protected a medal." In Paris, using a gray sleeve over the correct knee that needed surgical procedure for a torn curve pair of months back, Djokovic experienced Nadal in the 2nd round and also removed his long time opponent in organized sets. Right now Djokovic is the oldest man to win the single people gold in his sporting activity because 1908-- as well as he stopped Spain's Alcaraz, who is 21, coming from ending up being the youngest.Serbia's Novak Djokovic falls to his legs after hammering Spain's Carlos Alcaraz to gain his first career gold award. Matthew Stockman/Getty ImagesWhen the success was his, thanks to one final forehand champion, Djokovic transformed towards his crew in the stands-- being in front of his wife as well as their pair of youngsters-- lost his racket and also knelt on the clay. As psychological as ever before, he sobbed and also covered his face, at that point progressed and also nabbed a red-white-and-blue Serbian flag.After squeezes in the positions, Djokovic waved the banner." In the tough seconds, he provided it an additional press," Alcaraz said by means of his own splits. "It harms to drop such as this." The last, which lasted 2 hrs, 50 moments in spite of being actually determined in simply pair of sets, was a rematch of the Wimbledon title match three full weeks ago that Alcaraz gained to comply with up his French Open label in June.Alcaraz also beat Djokovic in in 2014's last at the All England Club, but Djokovic succeeded when they met in the semifinals of the 2023 French Open, the annual clay-court event secured at Roland Garros, the website utilized for ping pong in the course of these Olympics.Sunday's competition was actually an appealing competition, featuring one of the most effective to ever before do it in Djokovic, and also the most effective currently in Alcaraz. Indeed, it can possess been actually annoying for Djokovic to find themself once more across the internet coming from a younger, faster variation of themself. Perhaps that is actually why Djokovic often looked up and also gesticulated and whispered towards his visitor box.Still, he came out on top." Truthfully, when the swan song experienced him, past him, that was actually the only moment I really assumed I can easily gain the match," Djokovic said.It needed long exchanges full of wonderful ball-striking, ingenious decline chances-- Alcaraz's tended to become much more productive, in some cases so really good Djokovic decreased to even provide hunt-- and also significant sprinting, gliding, flexing self defense at each ends. They offered thus properly that not either got broken even when: Djokovic saved 8 break aspects, Alcaraz six.Most remarkable, probably, was how easily both men played, even with the talent of the hostility and stress of the occasion.The merely pity, probably, for the enthusiasts-- and normally, Alcaraz-- was that the Olympics uses a best-of-three-set format, instead of the best-of-five at Conquest tournaments. Produce no mistake, this meet between the No. 1-seeded Djokovic and also No. 2-seeded Alcaraz was worthy of a major final.Those in the positions entered into the show, consistently bursting out in to choruses of "No-le! No-le!" or "Car-los! Car-los!" that typically overlapped, creating a theatrical fugue. In the second set, as Alcaraz tried to mount a rebound, his advocates began chanting, "Si, se puede!" (generally, "Yes, you can!") while shaking their red-and-yellow banners. Seat moderator Damien Dumusois sometimes helped remind individuals to stay noiseless during the action.Yet the area additionally came to be as peaceful as a theater between factors, good enough to make sure that play was actually postponed temporarily when the air close apprehension was actually pierced by a child's crying.Both men played to the crowd. When Alcaraz raced to reach one decline try and deposit it over the web for a victor, he indulged the rowdy reaction by pointing his appropriate index finger to his ear. When Djokovic tied a cross-court forehand winner on the go to cover a 10-shot point to lead 3-2 in the second tiebreaker, he waved both upper arms expenses to motivate people who already were standing up and screaming.The initial set alone lasted more than 1 1/2 hrs, loaded with epic tries and impressive video games. One video game lasted 18 factors topped much more than a dozen magical mins, consisting of 5 rest chances for Alcaraz, just before Djokovic took care of to contain for a 5-4 top. In the sudden death, Djokovic transcended in do or die time, as he so frequently is, taking the last 4 points.At 3-all, Alcaraz provided a body offer, but Djokovic slid only sufficient to his left to slap a cross-court forehand gain winner. After 2 errors by Alcaraz, Djokovic made a volley winner as well as looked to encounter his family along with a first had high.Another set, and an additional sudden death, later, and also Djokovic possessed that medal that he yearned for, at long last.When the Serbian national anthem ended up ringing out at Court Philippe Chatrier, Djokovic grabbed that gold and also delivered it to his lips for a kiss.