The world Nos. 2 and 3 in men’s tennis will square off yet again on Sunday, in what will be a history-making Paris Olympics men’s singles gold medal game.
Serbian Novak Djokovic, the world No. 2 and the owner of the most Grand Slam titles in tennis history with 24, will face off against Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, the world No. 3 and the winner of the last two Grand Slam tournaments this year. Alcaraz won the French Open on the same surface as the Olympics, Roland Garros, and followed that up with his second Wimbledon title, which he won by beating Djokovic in straight sets.
Read More: Carlos Alcaraz Makes Tennis History After Beating Novak Djokovic in Wimbledon Final
Djokovic, to be fair, was still rehabbing from a medial meniscus tear in his right knee in that Wimbledon defeat three weeks ago. He is presumably healthier now.
Carlos Alcaraz Novak Djokovic
Carlos Alcaraz of Spain poses with the Gentlemen’s Singles Trophy alongside Novak Djokovic of Serbia and his Runner-Up Trophy following the Gentlemen’s Singles Final during day fourteen of The Championships Wimbledon 2024 at All England… More CLIVE BRUNSKILL/GETTY IMAGES
In his semifinal matchup on Friday, Djokovic took down Italian Lorenzo Musetti 6-4, 6-2. For his semifinal matchup, Alcaraz obliterated Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-1, 6-1.
Whatever happens during their meeting, history will be made on Sunday. The 37-year-old Djokovic would be the oldest player to win a gold medal, while the 21-year-old Alcaraz, who has already won four majors, would be the youngest.
En route to the final, Djokovic swept his longtime on-court rival, Rafael Nadal, who has the second-most Grand Slam men’s singles titles ever, with 24. Though Nadal is just a year older than Djokovic, he appears to be much closer to the end of his career than the Serbian superstar. Part of that may be a stylistic issue, as Djokovic is far more defensive and measured in his game, while Nadal plays a significantly more frenetic and grinding style that seems to have worn down his knees.
Read More: Olympic Tennis: Novak Djokovic Ousts Rafael Nadal from Men’s Singles Competition
How to Watch
The action tips off on Sunday morning stateside at 3 a.m. PT/6 a.m. ET. It will be broadcast on NBC. The match can also be streamed on Peacock (NBC’s sister site), DirecTV Stream, fubo, and Hulu + Live TV.
Per Howard Fendrich of The Associated Press, Djokovic had an interesting appraisal of the competition ahead of their meeting.
“The way he’s playing, he’s definitely a favorite,” Djokovic said of Alcaraz.
Djokovic has never finished with more than the lone bronze medal he notched at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Nadal claimed gold that year. This will be Djokovic’s first-ever Olympic final.
“You know, I’ve been waiting for this for almost 20 years,” Djokovic said during a post-match conversation with Britney Eurton of NBC, per Sean Leahy of Yahoo Sports. “I played four Olympic Games; this is my fifth and I never passed the semifinals. So I lost three out of four semifinals in my first four Olympic Games and I managed to overcome this big hurdle.”
Alcaraz and Djokovic have played against each other in tournaments six times, and are 3-3 in those encounters. Alcaraz is 2-0 against Djokovic on grass courts, while Djokovic is 2-0 on hard courts. They have each split a game on clay, 1-1, the surface of this Olympic final.
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