Serbia’s Novak Djokovic delivered an impressive performance to defeat Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz 7-6(3), 7-6(2), winning gold in the men’s singles final at the Paris 2023 Olympics held at Roland Garros. This victory on Court Philippe Chatrier marked the 37-year-old’s first Olympic title.
Three weeks prior, the two athletes had faced off in the Wimbledon 2024 final, where Alcaraz had beaten Djokovic in straight sets. However, in the French capital, the match was intensely competitive, with Djokovic saving five break points late in the first set to force a tiebreak.
Djokovic clinched the first set by winning four consecutive points. In the second set, he elevated his game, consistently winning his serve games before dominating the tiebreak with a decisive forehand winner down the line.
After the match, Djokovic celebrated by roaring to the sky, shaking hands with Alcaraz, then dropping to his knees at the center of the court before climbing into the crowd to celebrate with his family and team.
The 21-year-old Alcaraz, who missed out on adding an Olympic title to his French Open and Wimbledon victories this year, was visibly emotional at the end. With this gold medal, Djokovic joins Steffi Graf, Andre Agassi, Rafael Nadal, and Serena Williams as the fifth player to achieve the Career Golden Slam, which includes winning all four Grand Slams and Olympic singles gold.
Djokovic is also the oldest man to win the singles gold since tennis was reintroduced to the Olympics in 1988.