“I’m going for the gold, but I have one big challenge left.” Novak Djokovic knows better than anyone Carlos Alcaraz This is the biggest challenge in tennis today. He experienced it just last month in the Wimbledon final, the only precedent between the two this year, where the Spaniard massacred him in three sets. He is coming off winning titles at Roland Garros and the All England Club, and is one step away from crowning this magical streak with Olympic gold. He displays devastating tennis: he has all the repertoire of shots, the legs, the attitude and the killer instinct required to be the best. And, at 21 years old, also the courage of youth.
The grand final of Olympic tennis in Paris, on Sunday not earlier than 2 pm, could not have better protagonists or present greater attractions. An old Serbian alpha wolf, survivor of a thousand battles, confronts a rare pup who he knows will inherit his throne but doesn’t want to give way just yet. Because if Djokovic has one unfinished business, it’s to win Olympic gold, the only empty cupboard in his full display cases of 24 Grand Slam titles.
And it’s not that I haven’t tried; stubbornly it didn’t work. He is in his fifth Olympic Games since he debuted in Beijing’2008. “I have been waiting for this for almost 20 years. “I’ve played five Games and I haven’t gone past the semi-finals so far.” His only individual Olympic medal, a bronze in Beijing, came 16 years ago. Then a series of failures, the last in Tokyo when he lost to another Spaniard, Pablo Carrenoin the match for the bronze medal.
Novak has always had his way to Olympic gold barred. against the future champions: against Rafael Nadal in Beijing, before the British Andy Murray in London’12 and against German Alexander Zverev in Tokyo’20. The only exception was in Rio’16, when he bowed out to the Argentine Juan Martin del Potro. At 37 years old, this is his last train to that elusive gold he’s chased all his life. He has already won silver, which is the best Olympic reward, but Djokovic should not settle for consolation prizes.
Alcaraz would do well not to trust himself. It is true that the sensations are unparalleled, because he came from a glorious series of results, because in Paris he went from less to more and won the final and because of Roland Garros, the Olympic scene tournament, he is the current monarch. In the Olympic tournament he did not give up a set. But neither did Novak.
Alcaraz does not have the backpack of obsessions and frustrations that the Serbian carries. He’s at his first Games and enjoying them like the rookie he is. And he is so skilled and confident in his abilities that his lack of experience does not weigh him down. But he is careful.
“I have to play 100% to win gold, there is one game left but it is a big mountain,” warned the Murcian. Despite being an Olympic bubble that is completely foreign to what he is used to, he tries to maintain a routine in which he is comfortable: gentle training – on the eve of the final he limits himself to releasing his muscles in less than an hour. -, nutrition and adequate rest, and the common environment that provides advice and confidence.
History plans in this final. Only Rafa Nadal and Steffi Graf They managed to chain Roland Garros, Wimbledon and Olympic gold in the same campaign. “We will try not to think about all that to do our best and make the Spaniards happy and proud,” Carlitos said in an attempt to abstract himself from the importance of the rivalry with Djokovic. A victory will “probably” require a tattoo of the Olympic rings.
Carlos and Novak have met six times, with three wins for each. At Roland Garros there is only one precedent, the ‘semi’ of 2023, when the Spaniard, not used to these magnitudes, hardened and the Serbian defeated him in four sets. But more than a year later and Alcaraz is a completely different player, already with four Grand Slam titles and world number one; now he holds his own with ease on the biggest stages. On clay, they are also tied head to head, 1-1, as the one from El Palmar won the semifinals of the Masters 1,000 in Madrid in 2022, the first time both crossed the racket.
This is the best possible ending, so much so that it looks like it was taken from a movie script. A gold reward for a platinum final.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Robert Maynard, and I am a passionate journalist with experience in sports writing. For the last few years, I have been writing for Today Times Live. My main focus has been on sports-related stories and features. With my strong background in journalism and extensive knowledge of the industry, I am able to provide readers with well-crafted pieces that are both informative and engaging.
