Novak Djokovic beats Carlos Alcaraz in Paris Olympic cracker

At the age of 37 years and two months, Novak Djokovic achieved his Grand Slam gold at the Olympic Games in Paris! Chasing his first Olympic gold medal at Roland Garros, Novak won in two hours and 50 minutes 7-6, 7-6 against Carlos Alcaraz.

With that, the Serb won the missing trophy and became the first player to win all 15 major ATP titles. As expected, the top favorites reached the title fight without losing a set, leaving their opponents behind and competing for Olympic gold.

The veteran defeated the young gun after a thriller, sealing the deal after a better performance in both tiebreaks, thus fulfilling his dream. There were no breaks throughout the clash, with Novak denying eight break points in the opening set and Carlos five.

The young Spaniard saved a break point in the second set to keep them neck and neck from start to finish. Alcaraz dominated the opening set, letting some scary moments in his games pass and going for his shots.

The Serb avoided those eight break points in the fifth and ninth games, survived a huge defeat at 4-4 and missed a set point on the return in the twelfth game.

Novak won the set in the tiebreak after more than an hour and a half, got a boost and raised his service level in the second set. Djokovic produced six comfortable holds and took the force of the rival’s strokes.

Novak fired his forehand and came out on top with a great performance in the tiebreak, leaving his 16-year-younger opponent with no answer. The Serb secured the opening game of the encounter with a service winner and extended the next game after the Spaniard’s error.

Carlos hit a backhand and faced a break point, but he avoided it with a smart dropshot winner and forced Novak into an error to level the match at 1-1. Djokovic pushed again in the fourth game, hitting a return winner and creating three break chances.

Novak Djokovic won gold at the Olympic Games in Paris at the age of 37.

Alcaraz held them off with quick points, managed to escape and kept the score at 2-2 with a winning volley.

Novak first got into trouble behind the first shot in the fifth game, giving his rival three break chances. The veteran saved them with service winners and brought the game home with a smash winner, taking a 3-2 lead.

They served well in the next three games, with Carlos tying the score at 4-4 with a hold at love in game eight. Djokovic was given a final challenge in the ninth game, with Alcaraz cracking winners and creating five break chances!

The veteran stayed focused and wiped them out, the latter with a smart volley winner. Carlos forced another deuce with a direct point before Novak finally pulled it in with a service winner to take a 5-4 lead after 65 minutes of gruelling tennis.

Alcaraz took the tenth game with a forehand winner that added to the spectacle, and Djokovic moved 6-5 ahead after his rival’s lob error.

The Spaniard served to stay in the set in game 12 and scored a routine volley to give the Serb a set point.

The young gun saved it with a forehand winner and held on with a service winner, setting up a tiebreak. Carlos hit a backhand winner for 2-1, and Novak responded with a volley winner two points later, taking a 3-2 lead.

The veteran painted a short forehand crosscourt return winner in the seventh point for the first mini-break. Novak took two points on serve, earning three set points with a service winner at 5-3. The Serb converted the first with a nice attack and a volley winner at the net, deciding the opener after an hour and 32 minutes!

Alcaraz was feeling the pressure in the second set, especially after failing to create break points. Djokovic reached deuce on the return in the first game before hitting a backhand long. The Serb hit a winning forehand down the line in the second game, held at love and pushed again on the return in the next.

Carlos made a forehand error and gave Novak a break chance, the only one of the set. Alcaraz saved the ball with a forehand crosscourt winner, hit another and held on with a service winner for 2-1.

Djokovic squandered that opportunity, landing a forehand winner in the fourth game and holding to love with a powerful serve. Novak extended the fifth game before Carlos wrapped it up with a service winner to take a 3-2 lead after more than two hours!

The Serb secured another comfortable hold in the sixth game, controlling the pace behind the first shot. Alcaraz felt no pressure in the seventh game, landing a service winner to hold at 15 for 4-3. The Spaniard landed a forehand drive-volley winner in the eighth game to level the score at 30-30, putting the first pressure on the Serb’s serve in the second set.

We saw the first deuce on Novak’s serve since the ninth game of the first set, and the veteran held on with a winning serve for 4-4 and more drama.

Djokovic reached deuce in the return of the next game with a backhand winner, before Alcaraz struck the decisive blow to create a 5-4 lead.

Serving to stay in the set in the tenth game, Novak drew Carlos’ lob error with a fine volley to level the score at 5-5, leaving his first shot intact. The young shooter held at love in the 11th game for another advantage, and the veteran cancelled it out with four winners in the next game, introducing a tiebreak and piling on the pressure on his rival.

Djokovic hit a forehand crosscourt winner in the first point for a mini-break and a confidence boost. Novak defended superbly in the second point and welcomed Carlos’ routine forehand error for 2-0. Alcaraz pulled back the mini-break in the third point and hit a forehand down the line winner for 2-2.

Djokovic claimed an extended rally in the fifth point, hitting another forehand crosscourt winner to secure the advantage. The Serb cemented it with a smash winner in the sixth point, receiving the Spaniard’s tired forehand for 5-2.

Alcaraz hit a routine backhand to go 6-2 down and give Djokovic four match points. Novak hit a forehand down the line for the winner on the first, scoring five points and winning the Olympic gold medal in style.