Novak Djokovic has described his Paris 2024 Olympic gold medal as the crowning moment of his legendary tennis career.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion finally completed his career trophy cabinet by defeating Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz in straight sets in the gold medal match, ending a 16-year wait for the coveted medal.
The emotional victory ended a long Olympic quest for the 38-year old Serbian, marked by near-misses and heartbreak.
“I’ve watched this video probably a million times,” Djokovic told Laureus after being shown a playback of the final moments of the match.
“This will remain the pinnacle of my career given the years I waited and worked for it. Heartbreaking losses in the last four Olympic Games I competed in prevented me from reaching this milestone. I will remember this moment forever.”
Djokovic’s run in Paris was nothing short of sensational. He didn’t drop a set throughout the tournament and avenged a painful Wimbledon final loss to Alcaraz just weeks earlier.
The Olympic gold was Djokovic’s only title of the 2024 season, and completed his career golden slam.