Paris Olympics 2024: Novak Djokovic eyes gold in blockbuster match vs Carlos Alcaraz: ’Been waiting for almost...’

Serbian tennis icon Novak Djokovic reached his first Olympic final by defeating Italy's Lorenzo Musetti in the semi-finals of the men's singles event. This sets up a thrilling gold medal match against Spain's rising star Carlos Alcaraz, marking a rematch of their Wimbledon 2024 final clash.

At 37 years old, Djokovic will be the oldest player to compete in the gold medal match since 1988. Regardless of the outcome, he is assured of a silver medal, marking an improvement from the bronze he won at the 2008 Beijing Games.

Djokovic stormed into the final with a 6-4, 6-2 victory in straight sets over the Italian tennis sensation. Despite raising concerns over his right knee, Djokovic showed no signs of discomfort and breezed past Musett in the semi-finals. Djokovic faced fierce competition in the first set. But he upped the ante in the second set to stand just a step away from his first Olympic gold medal.

In his on-court interview, Djokovic said, “I have been waiting for this for almost 20 years. I've played four Olympic games. This is my fifth, and I've never passed the semi-finals. I lost three semi-finals in my first four Olympic games. I managed to overcome this big hurdle. I must be honest and say that I was thinking about all the semi-finals that I lost,” as quoted from ATP.

The second set was a topsy-turvy affair for Djokovic. The Serbian was left frustrated and visibly animated following the errors he made. With the second set level at 2-2, Djokovic won four consecutive games to proceed to the finals.

"Second set, I started, I was very, very nervous just overall. Before the match, during the match, just so, so nervous. But so glad to overcome this hurdle and secure a medal for my country," Djokovic added.

Alcaraz was earlier in action and stormed into the final without breaking a sweat. He defeated Canadia's Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-1, 6-1 to set up the blockbuster clash.