The 24-time Grand Slam champion won the gold medal in Paris

Novak Djokovic has won the last ‘title’ he was missing: the gold medal at the Olympics. The 24-time Grand Slam champion won the gold medal in Paris beating Carlos Alcaraz in a truly memorable final, which certified Nole’s status as one of the best athletes of the modern era.

The former world number 1 has shocked the world once again, redeeming his clear defeat against the Spaniard at the Wimbledon Championships. The 21-year-old from Murcia was clearly surprised by the level of play of the Serbian, who played the best match of his season just when he needed it most.

Novak Djokovic© Maja Hitij / Staff Getty Images Sport

After such a joy, fans and experts wonder what motivation Djokovic will find to continue playing at the highest level. The 37-year-old from Belgrade has announced that he will not play in the Cincinnati Masters 1000, having already missed out on the Montreal Masters 1000 this week.

Novak Djokovic will return to the 2024 US Open, where he will defend last year’s title by beating Daniil Medvedev in the final. Despite winning everything during his legendary career, Djokovic is still hungry and does not want to retire for the moment. During the press conference after the triumph at the Paris Olympics, Novak shocked everyone when he said that he would like to participate in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics as well.

Djokovic is not human

It is no coincidence that 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic has expressed his best tennis in the final of the Paris Olympics, despite a much younger opponent than him.

Speaking with the UK TV, Mark Petchey discussed Nole’s triumph at the Paris Olympics: “He’s not just a phenomenal tennis player – which of course he is, because you can’t be great without being a phenomenal player. You can’t just be a mental giant, you can’t just be a physical beast, you also have to be an extraordinary tennis player. Personally, I think what Novak did at the Olympics is his greatest achievement. I know that “repeat” is the hardest thing in sport, it’s not easy – it shows her character. But coming back five times to the Games, wanting to win, wanting to do everything in sport, he climbed all the summits.”

Before the Olympics, Novak Djokovic was playing one of the worst seasons of his career and his decline seemed to have begun. The former world number 1 had not won a title in 2024 before winning in Paris, he had been injured during the French Open and his level was much lower than that of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.Novak Djokovic© Maja Hitij / Staff Getty Images Sport

Novak’s feat was even more remarkable when you consider that he had a knee surgery just weeks earlier. In a recent interview with the ATP website, Hubert Hurkacz – who suffered an injury similar to Djokovic’s during Wimbledon – praised the Serbian legend: “Definitely just really inspiring what he did, especially winning the gold medal. I also texted Novak. He was really, really supportive and helpful as well and it just was a different situation, it was a difficult situation trying to make the decision.

At the end, I knew I needed to have surgery. I knew I couldn’t really move on the court, so the Olympics was unfortunately out of the window. I was dreaming of playing there for the whole year, but I just knew that it just was not going to be possible. The wounds were still not healed. I just couldn’t be going there. It was too much of a risk and also I couldn’t move on the court, so it was just not going to work.”

Nole is relaxing

After the Wimbledon Championships final, Novak had admitted that he felt inferior to Alcaraz and Sinner at this stage of his career but wanted to work hard to reduce the gap. No one imagined that the Serbian ace would succeed in a legendary feat a few weeks later. The Serbian legend was very excited when he won the gold medal: “I don’t know. I’m overwhelmed with everything I’m feeling right now. Feeling different emotions. Too proud. Too happy. Thrilled with the possibility to win a gold for the first time in my career for my country. Arguably the biggest success I had. I won probably everything there is to win in my individual career.”Novak Djokovic© Matthew Stockman / Staff Getty Images Sport

Djokovic will try to be ready for the US Open, the last Slam of the season, which will take place in New York at the end of August. The former world number 1 will try to defend last year’s title, but it won’t be easy against rivals like Alcaraz, Sinner, Medvedev and Zverev.