Novak Djokovic beats Carlos Alcaraz to win his first Olympic gold medal

PARIS – Novak Djokovic finally has an Olympic gold medal around his neck.

After chasing this last prize his entire career – the only major accomplishment in tennis he hadn’t been able to check off – the 37-year old Djokovic was down to his last chance at the Paris Olympics .

Summoning every bit of energy he had left in the tank Sunday, against the 21-year old who has taken his place on top of the sport, Djokovic managed to play one of the best matches of his career to beat Carlos Alcaraz 7-6, 7-6 inside Court Philippe Chatrier.

When it was over after 2 hours, 37 minutes and one monster down-the-line forehand on match point, Djokovic dropped his racket and put his hands over his mouth. Then, after an embrace with Alcaraz, he dropped to his knees in exhaustion and emotion and stayed down for nearly a minute. Then he went into the stands, embracing his team and family.

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Even for a man with 24 Grand Slam titles and nearly every significant record in the sport, this is the crowning achievement that he has long sought. Because this one wasn’t just for himself, it was for his beloved Serbia.

After gutting defeats in Rio and Tokyo, Djokovic wanted this badly. Even built his year around it. But after injuring his knee during the French Open and having meniscus surgery, it was unclear whether he would even be healthy enough to play the Olympics.

But Djokovic managed to return in time for Wimbledon, getting to the finals before Alcaraz crushed him in three sets.

This one was tightly played throughout, with no breaks of serve on either side. In the end, Djokovic was better in both tiebreakers.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Novak Djokovic beats Carlos Alcaraz to win his first Olympic gold medal