Novak Djokovic finally conquered his last hurdle at the 2024 Olympic Games as he secured the gold medal for Serbia for the first time in his career. The 37-year-old veteran is undisputedly the greatest player to have ever taken to the court and he has won more Grand Slams than anyone in history with a whopping haul of 24. But the one triumph that had eluded him throughout his glittering career was the top step of the podium at the most watched sporting event on the planet.
Well, that particular void has now been filled. Djokovic rolled back the years to knock off talented young Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz in Paris after a back-and-forth affair that was one of the most riveting matches in history. The 21-year-old Spaniard has seemingly had Nole’s number in recent years, defeating him in back-to-back Wimbledon finals, with the most recent one being particularly one-sided. With that firmly in mind and fuelling him on to success, Djokovic wasn’t about to be deterred.
The Serbian GOAT managed to hold his nerve, saving break points left, right, and center in the opening set to win a tiebreak. In the second set, more of the same would follow, but Djokovic managed to scratch and claw his way to another tiebreak. Once there, he would again get the job done and emerge victorious before celebrating wildly with his team. He looked more emotional than ever before in the moments following his victory as he finally claimed the Golden Slam, becoming just the third male player in history to do exactly that.
So, Djokovic has his status as the greatest player that’s ever lived! And the latest odds on sports betting in Canada now make him a +185 contender to win the upcoming US Open. But who has managed to beat him to the Olympic Gold throughout his career?
Rafael Nadal
Djokovic made his Olympic bow in 2008 and he headed to Beijing coming off the back of a breakout year, winning his first Grand Slam just months prior with victory at the Australian Open. Rafael Nadal was also making his debut on the grandest stage and he was somewhat further ahead of his Serbian rival in terms of his development, already having five Slams under his belt.
Ultimately, it was the Spaniard who emerged victorious. He managed to defeat Djokovic in the semifinals before defeating Chile’s Fernando González in straight sets in the final.
Andy Murray
Four years later, at the 2012 London Olympics, Andy Murray etched his name into the annals of tennis history by claiming the gold medal. The Brit was coming off the back of arguably his greatest disappointment, becoming the first British man to reach the Wimbledon final since 1938 but ultimately losing to Roger Federer in the final, despite winning the first set. The two would meet once again on Centre Court, this time in the Olympics final, and Murray would have his revenge, winning in straight sets to claim an emotional gold medal.
For Djokovic, this tournament would end in disappointment once again. He entered as the second seed but was downed by another mercurial Murray in the semifinals, before also going on to lose the bronze medal match to Argentina’s Juan Martin Del Potro.
Andy Murray, Again
In 2016, Murray became the first player in history to successfully defend the gold medal and win his second on the spin. The tournament took place just months before devastating injuries ended the Scotsman’s career at the summit of world tennis, but he still had this one last hurrah in Rio. The Brit remained as composed as ever to hold off the challenge of the aforementioned Del Potro, who was aiming to reign supreme on enemy territory as an Argentinian in Brazil. He won by three sets to one and cemented his position as the best player in the world at the time.
For Djokovic, the 2016 Games were arguably his biggest disappointment. He was dumped out in the first round by the Argentine, losing back-to-back tie breaks in both sets, similar to how he ultimately won gold this summer.
Alexander Zverev
Heading into this year’s Olympics, German Alexander Zverev was the defending champion. The Tokyo-hosted tournament was postponed by one year due to global events and was then performed in front of reduced crowds. But that didn’t deter “Sasha” one bit, who managed to beat the rest of the competition to stand on the top step of the podium.
The Games were the first one without the likes of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Andy Murray, all of whom were either injured or didn’t qualify. As such, Djokovic was the overwhelming favorite to emerge victorious, but he was once again beaten in the semifinals, this time by the eventual champion. Zverev managed to beat Russia’s Karen Khachanov in the final, while Nole would once again lose the bronze medal match, this time to Spain’s Pablo Carreño Busta.
