Novak Djokovic has won everything in his immense career, except the gold medal at the Olympic Games. At 37, the Serb will try one last time to get this title that would make him enter the history of tennis a little more. But “Nole” does not arrive in the best conditions to achieve the feat.
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In the race for posterity, Novak Djokovic is already very, very well placed. For example, he shares the record for Grand Slam victories with the Australian Margaret Smith Court, with 24 titles. The “Djoker” is the only one to have won all nine Masters 1000 (40 victories). The list of his exploits is endless, witness to an extraordinary talent that has already marked the history of tennis. However, one title is still missing: a gold medal at the Olympic Gamesand therefore the career “Golden Grand Slam”, that is, the four Grand Slam tournaments and the Olympic gold.
The German Steffi Graf is the only one to have won everything in a single year, in 1988 with the Olympic Games in Seoul. The American Andre Agassi (1996 in Atlanta), his compatriot Serena Williams (2012 in London) and the Spaniard Rafael Nadal (2008 in Beijing) have all achieved the “Golden Grand Slam” over several years.
But the most beautiful of metals still eludes Novak Djokovic. In 2008 in Beijing, he lost to Rafael Nadal in the semi-finals and only won bronze against American James Blake. In 2012 in London, Briton Andy Murray stopped him again in the last four. And in 2016 in Brazil, the Serb had a very difficult summer, culminating in his elimination in his first match in Rio against Argentinian Juan Martin Del Potro.
Tokyo 2021, the incredible nightmare
The 2016 hiccup was tough, but incomparable with the disillusionment of the Tokyo Games in 2021. Obsessed with his Olympic quest, Novak Djokovic dreamed of imitating the Steffi Graf of 1988. The Belgrade native had already taken control of the Australian Open, Roland-Garros and Wimbledon in the first six months of the year. The arch-favorite for the gold medal in Tokyo, he seemed to be on his way to a title that was promised to him. The first three rounds were a formality. The quarter-final, against the local Kei Nishikori, turned into a correction (6-2, 6-0).
In the semi-final, Novak Djokovic saw Alexander Zverev stand in his way. Set like clockwork, the match turned in his favour at first. The Serb easily pocketed the first set 6-3. He then took control in the second set by leading 3-2 and breaking the German. Just a few more efforts and the doors to the final would open.
But then… a fatal lull for the Serb. The black hole, the bad luck, the well-oiled machine suddenly out of whack. Novak Djokovic completely failed, only managing to win one game, while Alexander Zverev found unsuspected resources. And the unthinkable happened: “Nole” sank against Zverev (6-3, 3-6, 1-6) and saw his goal fly away again. He even lost in the bronze match against the Spaniard Pablo Carreño Busta, losing his nerve in the process.
Djokovic later conceded that he had ” not been up to par ” and having been the victim of a ” mental and physical exhaustion “. A drop in form that is both insignificant in light of his immense career, but also terrible in consequences. In four participations in the Olympic Games, the Serbian has never been in gold, even in 2021 when the Grail was within his reach.
Doubts hover before Paris 2024
Now 37 years old, Novak Djokovic knows that Paris 2024 is, barring any surprises, his last chance to enter the closed circle of “Golden Grand Slam” holders. And after 1996-2000-2004-2008-2016-2021 on hard courts and 2012 on grass, the 2024 Olympic tournament will be played on clay, a first since the 1992 edition in Barcelona. It is at the Roland-Garros stadium that the “Djoker” will try his luck for a fifth time. Three times winner of the French Grand Slam, the tennis player nevertheless has mixed feelings about Paris.
In June, The Serb injured his right knee in an epic round of 16 match against Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo and had to withdraw from his quarter-final and undergo arthroscopic surgery. At Wimbledon, he played with a knee brace. Physically, Djokovic is not in full possession of his means. We’ll see how I feel physically and mentally. I hope I find the right tennis, because I’ll need everything I have, and even more. ” he warned.
Above all, Novak Djokovic will start the Olympic tournament with little certainty about his game. He has not won any titles in 2024 so far and he has lost all his matches against members of the top 10 of the ATP ranking: Jannik Sinner in the semi-finals of the Australian OpenCasper Ruud in the semi-final of the Monte-Carlo Masters 1000 and therefore Carlos Alcaraz on July 14 in the Wimbledon finalThe Spaniard inflicted one of his harshest defeats in a Grand Slam final on the current world number 3 (6-2, 6-2, 7-6). [4]).
Djokovic is aware of his current weaknesses. After the resounding victory at Alcaraz, he judged himself harshly: ” Facing the best in the world at the moment, (…) I feel that I am not up to standard. “And in Paris, ” I’ll have to play better than today ” he added. But the other 63 players who will be competing in the singles should be wary; in 21 years on the professional circuit, Novak Djokovic has become a master in the art of turning the elements in his favor.