Latest news headlines; Ash Barty's big call as Novak Djokovic bids for maiden Olympic gold

There's not much in tennis Novak Djokovic hasn't won, but an Olympic gold medal is one of them.

He will have the chance to do just that when he takes to the court against Carlos Alcaraz tonight.

Aussie tennis legend Ash Barty reckons he's going to be desperate to win.

"I would say that Novak would give a couple of slams back to have the opportunity to win a gold Olympic medal," she said on Stan Sport's Paris Preview.

"This is the final that every tennis fan craved, everyone wanted to see this showdown."

Alcaraz and Djokovic are already one of the biggest rivalries in men's tennis. They're split 3-3 from those six meetings.

However, Alcaraz famously blew Djokovic off the court when they last met in the Wimbledon final. Alcaraz looked to barely break a sweat in the straight sets 6-2, 6-4, 7-6 (4) win.

Barty said the conditions in Paris would likely suit the young Spaniard.

​"I think if it's hot and bouncy and it's lively, it will definitely suit Carlos more," she said.

"He grew up in Spain in those quick conditions. For Novak, if he is able to control the baseline, if he can find the ball more often in his hip pocket and can control the court that will work in his favour.

"We know with Novak in big moments he is a mental beast - he loves the big occasions.

"This is the match he's been eyeing off in his calendar since Tokyo."

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