Novak Djokovic sets Olympic record and matches Steffi Graf, Andre Agassi Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams with career Golden Slam

Novak Djokovic has done it! The Serbian won gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics, defeating Carlos Alcaraz in the final, to become only the fifth player to win a career Golden Slam.

Djokovic was sublime in the gold medal match as he defeated Alcaraz – who beat him in straight sets in the Wimbledon final just over a month ago – 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (7-2) to win his second Olympic medal to go with the bronze he won at Beijing in 2008.

It was a vintage display from Djokovic with a first-serve percentage of 74% over the two sets while he saved eight break points to defeat the four-time Grand Slam winner Alcaraz.

With the win, Djokovic joined Steffi Graf, Andre Agassi, Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams as the only players to win all four Grand Slams and gold in the singles at the Olympics.

The Serbian also set a new record for the oldest tennis player to win a gold medal since tennis returned to the Olympic programme in 1988.

Andy Murray was the oldest singles player as he was 29 years and 91 days when he won gold at the 2016 Rio Games while Matthew Ebden from Australia was the oldest overall as he was 36 years and 251 days when he won gold in the men’s doubles in Paris this year.

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Djokovic also joined Williams and Roger Federer as the only players in the Open Era to reach the singles finals after turning 30 and he has now beaten them to the record as oldest player.

But the Serbian legend surpassed those records as he is 37 years 76 days.

He is also only the second player after Agassi to win the four Grand Slams and the ATP Finals as Nadal won the career Golden Slam, but he failed to win the season-ending finals.

Since the start of the year, Djokovic had made it clear that winning gold at the Olympics was his priority and many questioned whether or not he was right to put all his eggs in one basket.

The critics were given further ammunition when he lost in the semi-final of the Australian Open and also failed to win a tournament in the first seven months of the season – the first time since 2006 that it had happened.

He was forced to withdraw from the French Open quarter-final due to a knee injury as he underwent surgery with many fearing that he would not only miss Wimbledon but also the Olympics.

However, he reached the final at Wimbledon and finished runner-up to Alcaraz.

But he has been vindicated by winning gold at Paris 2024.

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