Novak Djokovic Achieves The Ultimate Triumph: Completes Tennis Grand Slam, Securing A Gold At The Paris Olympics

Sunday, August 5th, witnessed Novak Djokovic stamping his name as the most accomplished player in sporting history. The tennis star won his first Olympic gold medal on Sunday at the men’s singles event in Paris. Incidentally, the final featured Djokovic going against Carlos Alcaraz, who beat the seasoned Djokovic in the Wimbledon final not even a month ago. However, Djokovic’s gold win at the Paris Olympics meant much more than just redemption against Carlos Alcaraz. Djokovic, who has spent the most time being the World No. 1 in ATP rankings, attained the sole accolade left for him to achieve: an Olympic gold.

Novak Djokovic Claims All That Is There To Win In Tennis

Statistically speaking, Novak Djokovic is the most successful player not only in tennis but essentially across sports disciplines. To count, the 37-year-old Serbian star has collected 10 Australian Open titles, 3 Roland Garros titles, 7 Wimbledon titles, and 4 US Open titles. Collectively, his 24 Grand Slam titles put him atop the list of tennis stars with the most titles ever. Rising in the shadows of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, Djokovic quickly emerged as a champion in his own right. Soon enough, Djokovic transitioned into a Grand Slam conqueror, accumulating the most titles. In fact, the gold win at the Paris Olympics isn’t Djokovic’s first claim to an Olympic medal; the tennis legend started with a bronze at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

The Olympics Gold: Novak Djokovic's Struggle At The Olympics Leading To The Gold

428 weeks of ruling the rankings, 24 Grand Slams to his name, one would think there’s no title left for Djokovic to yearn for. But that’s not the case when it comes to the Olympics. The Olympic gold proved a tough nut to crack for the tennis legend. The gold, which finally came in 2024, made Djokovic relentlessly fight and lose it for four seasons. Arguably one of tennis' all-time greats, Djokovic had a rather compelling journey through five Olympic Games, finally turning fruitful in the Paris 2024 Olympics.

His Olympic debut came at the 2004 Athens Olympics, featuring a young tennis prodigy. For a 17-year-old, Athens didn’t mark any significant step in Djokovic’s journey. However, just the next season, Djokovic claimed a medal, laying his claim as one of the best challengers to the ruling stars. In Beijing 2008, Djokovic clinched his first Olympic medal, securing bronze in the men's singles by defeating James Blake in the bronze medal match. This achievement set the tone for Djokovic’s future exploits.

The 2012 London Olympics saw Djokovic as a top contender, but he narrowly missed out on a medal, finishing fourth after losing to Juan Martín del Potro in the bronze medal match. Subsequently, Djokovic made his way to the 2016 Rio Olympics, which gave him an unprecedented setback. Djokovic, as a player, is highly charged and remarkably emotive but most of all, a hungry player, with a hunger to achieve greatness. Thus, when Djokovic was ousted in the very first round of the Rio Olympics, it left him shattered. Djokovic entered the tournament as the world number one and naturally the favorite for a medal finish. However, Argentina's Juan Martín del Potro stunned Djokovic in the first round, forcing him out of medal contention.

Nonetheless, Djokovic returned to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics with even more hunger to achieve ultimate glory. Djokovic aimed to complete a historic Golden Slam. He advanced to the semifinals but was defeated by Alexander Zverev and subsequently lost the bronze medal match to Pablo Carreño Busta. Aged 37 in 2024, coming to Paris after recent setbacks at Wimbledon and Roland Garros, the title win meant everything to Djokovic, speaking without an ounce of exaggeration.

Paris Olympics 2024: Djokovic's Ultimate Claim To Glory

Novak Djokovic started his Paris Olympics quest by going against Australia’s Matthew Ebden in the first round, downing him in straight sets 6-0, 6-1. In his next rounds, Djokovic faced the likes of Rafael Nadal and Dominic Koepfer. He then met Stefanos Tsitsipas in the quarter-final, beating him 6-3, 7-6(3). As fate would have it, Djokovic came face to face against Carlos Alcaraz, who had beaten him not even a month earlier in the Wimbledon final, for the gold medal match. Being this close to claiming the last piece of his glorious puzzle, Djokovic wasn’t about to go lax in the competition. Focusing all his experience and skills into this one match, Djokovic beat Alcaraz 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (7/2), finally winning the gold medal.

What it meant for the player became apparent as a shaking Djokovic hit the ground after scoring the winning point. With his family in the stands, an emotional Djokovic collected his daughter into a hug, letting his emotions flow. Now, with an Olympic gold to his credit, there’s practically nothing left for Djokovic to win. However, the tennis star expressed his willingness to return for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.