**PARIS, Aug 4 -** Novak Djokovic hailed his victory over Carlos Alcaraz to secure the Olympic singles gold medal at his fifth attempt as the pinnacle of his career on Sunday.
The 37-year-old Serbian ended an eight-month trophy drought with a masterful performance, winning 7-6(3) 7-6(2) and completing his career Golden Slam in stunning fashion, not dropping a set in six matches at Roland Garros.
Djokovic is the oldest man to win the Olympic singles title since tennis was reintroduced to the Games in 1988. Remarkably, he achieved this feat just 21 days after being defeated by Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final and two months after undergoing knee surgery.
"I won the bronze in my first Olympic Games (2008) and ever since then, I failed to win another medal despite reaching the semi-finals in three out of four Olympic Games," Djokovic told reporters, proudly wearing his medal. "And now, at age 37, to win against a 21-year-old who is arguably the best player in the world right now, having won Roland Garros and Wimbledon back-to-back and playing incredible tennis, is truly special."
"When I take everything into consideration, this is probably the biggest sporting success I've ever had in my career," said Djokovic, the 24-time Grand Slam champion, who produced a level of tennis that had been missing this year to fend off Alcaraz.
**Paris 2024 Olympics - Tennis - Men's Singles Victory Ceremony - Roland-Garros Stadium, Paris, France - August 4, 2024.** Gold medalist Novak Djokovic of Serbia proudly holds his medal. (REUTERS/Claudia Greco)
After blasting a forehand winner to conclude a nearly three-hour fierce battle, the emotion overwhelmed Djokovic as he broke down in tears on the court. He then climbed into the stands to embrace his family, including his wife Jelena and son Stefan, as well as his team.
"Until today, I thought that carrying the Serbian flag at the 2012 London Olympics was the pinnacle of an athlete's experience," Djokovic said. "This surpasses everything I imagined or hoped to experience."
While Djokovic didn't rule out competing in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, he acknowledged that the realization that Paris might be his last chance at gold drove him to excel.
"I was prepared for this tournament and didn’t drop a set throughout," he said. "From the opening rounds, I knew this was my chance. If it was ever going to happen, it was now."
"When I reached the finals, I felt a huge relief because that was the hurdle I hadn’t been able to clear before. I celebrated as if I had won the tournament, but of course, I was aiming for gold and knew I’d have to overcome the biggest challenge, playing against Alcaraz."
Djokovic saved eight break points during the match, which he described as one of the highest levels of play he has ever experienced for just two sets.
"I don’t think I’ve ever played, maybe only a few times in my life, at such a high level for three hours over just two sets," he said. "Credit to him for a fantastic tournament and his great fighting spirit."