PARIS — Novak Djokovic beats Carlos Alcaraz 7-6(3), 7-6(2) on Sunday in the men's singles Olympic final at Roland Garros in Paris.
The No. 1 seed prevailed over the No. 2 seed in an epic of intensity and tactical fortitude, ultimately decided by Djokovic's adaptability behind the serve, and two completely flawless tiebreakers, which have turned into a cover letter of his game through 24 Grand Slam singles titles and now. , finally, an Olympic gold medal.
Athletic's Matt Futterman and James Hansen analyze the final and what it means for tennis.
How did Alcaraz and Djokovic make it such an intense contest?
It happens so rarely, especially on the biggest stages when the tension and nerves are so high. Two all-time greats matching each other's level for a long period, and possibly almost an entire match.
From the first balls on Sunday afternoon, it was clear that Djokovic and Alcaraz had come to play, and nothing less than their maximum intensity. It was not always a competition at the best technical level, with a few laps and lazy returns wandering at important points. But it was a contest: bruising, captivating and at times reaching the heights that only these two can hope to ascend, practically when they play.
It was a far cry from the last time these two played on Court Philippe-Chatrier at Roland Garros, in the semifinals of the 2023 French Open. That time, Alcaraz came out full of nerves, played a second stiff but trembling thirst, and then succumbed to nerves and cramps. Djokovic won in four.
On Sunday, Alcaraz came out who does almost every backhand and forehand he can and mixes up the smoothest and most deceptive drop shot in the world. Djokovic has also come out, chasing more balls than anyone else, and recovering them with the quality that makes him go from defense to attack in the blink of an eye. This was a case of shared intensity raising things, less than shared stakes. Alcaraz has many more Olympics in him; this is probably Djokovic's last.
Players increased each other's quality by force (Miguel Medina/AFP via Getty Images)
They equalized the pressure services. They traded drop-shot returns that traveled almost parallel to the net. Djokovic groaned with effort when the opportunity arose. The only way Alcaraz could survive was with one of the high-decibel grunts that went into the deepest corner of the track.
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The first set lasted 93 minutes. What did Djokovic need to prevail? Nothing less than one of his signature, error-free tiebreakers and a forehand drop volley that perhaps not even the fastest player in the game bothered to chase. He repeated the trick in the second set, with two forehands screaming into the corners.
The 2023 Wimbledon final was a five-set thriller that saw them take turns to be at their best, rather than matching each other's heights, even if it wasn't the highest. It was more reminiscent of their Cincinnati final last August, a three-set, four-hour sweat that Djokovic won in the championship decider.
Matt Futterman
How did the tactical battle evolve during the match?
After the Wimbledon final, Djokovic was very optimistic about how he had been beaten, saying that Alcaraz was simply better in all departments. He had one point of surprise: how well he had served Alcaraz.
That same quality—and more visibly, the speed—was not quite there at Roland Garros, but Alcaraz made up for it by using her body to reliable effect, especially in moments of pressure, saving three break points in one match at the first set He then used his ad-side kick serve to take out short balls from Djokovic, crunching forehands into the open court.
Djokovic, on the other hand, relied on the accuracy of his placement, especially swinging serves on the T when serving on the advantage court, which Alcaraz struggled to return. But the real battle was between Djokovic's wide serve and Alcaraz's deep return position. Djokovic was able to reliably extract a playable ball from Alcaraz's forehand, hitting it on the rise into the open court.
Until he couldn't. In the dramatic 4-4 game that would eventually take him to the first set, Djokovic entered with this tactic at 30-30, and turned Alcaraz around. He missed the point.
Djokovic's lack of confidence in his overhead led to some tactical adjustments (Patricia de Melo Moreira/AFP via Getty Images)
At 40-40, he returned to the crease, but hesitated to go in behind the right, allowing Alcaraz to pick up a deep ball and draw an error. And then, at two, he hit a right with little conviction, the ball lifting off the tape for Alcaraz to scoop up. Slightly chastened, Djokovic continued to play the pattern, but was less vociferous when moving behind the ball.
Djokovic brought something different as a result. Able to use Alcaraz's unbelievable foot speed against him, he peppered the Spaniard with balls behind the backhand, feeding off Alcaraz's ability to anticipate and recover a ball in the open court.
James Hansen
How did Djokovic boost his confidence?
It's incredible to think that a player with 24 Grand Slam titles could suffer any doubts about his abilities, but few great players have been as honest about their confidence demons as Djokovic.
It doesn't take much, in a sport with so many mental issues: Djokovic overcame his doubts honestly heading into Sunday's final. He had not won a tournament all year and had never won a gold medal. Alcaraz had won the last two Grand Slam titles and Djokovic knew he hadn't played at his level or even Jannik Sinner's since last fall, a lifetime in tennis. They have been setting the standard in the sport. not him
But late on Friday night, after winning his semi-final against Lorenzo Musetti, Djokovic, known for having the strongest brain in the match, delivered a masterclass in convincing himself and shifting the pressure to Alcaraz.
The Serbian's shot was the cleanest and strongest of the year (Thibaud Moritz/AFP via Getty Images)
Alcaraz was clearly the favourite, he said, just as he had been before his semi-final at Roland Garros last year, when Alcaraz was the world No 1 and top seed.
“He has shown that he is the best player in the world at the moment,” Djokovic said of Alcaraz. “He won Roland Garros, he won Wimbledon, he beat me in the final quite comfortably there, he got to the final without dropping a set.”
But then came the pivot and the window into his mind. He was a different player now, he said, three more weeks out from knee surgery. He was moving and hitting the ball better.
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“Not to take anything, of course, away from his Wimbledon final win,” he said. “It was dominant and deservedly a winner. But I feel more confident about myself and my chances in the final.”
In other words, the world had completely changed in less than a month, even if it hadn't.
And then it was his, as it had never been before. The ball shot off his racket all the while, the noise crisp and clean and loud. It was a confidence and quality not seen since that French Open final in 2023, perhaps the US Open final in the same year.
Matt Futterman
What did Novak Djokovic say after the final?
We'll bring you your on-court quotes and press conference thoughts as they come in.
What did Carlos Alcaraz say after the final?
“It was three hours of great struggle, incredible tennis.
“It was a very difficult time for me… I just couldn't raise my level in the tiebreakers.”
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(Top photo: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
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