Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz will rekindle their intergenerational rivalry with a gold medal on the line after an emotional Djokovic finally broke new ground at the Olympics, defeating Lorenzo Musetti 6-4, 6-2 on Friday night to reach the men’s singles final for the first time.
While Djokovic has won every other big title on offer, including the four grand slam tournaments, every current Masters 1000 event, the ATP Finals and Davis Cup, Olympic gold is the one achievement he has yet to secure. The semi-finals have proven an extremely difficult barrier in his career, with the Serb losing at this stage in three of his four previous Olympic appearances. Coming into the match, Djokovic held a 1-7 record in Olympic semi-finals and bronze medal matches combined across singles and mixed doubles. He won a singles bronze medal at Beijing 2008.
Despite expressing concern about his surgically repaired right knee after feeling a “sharp pain” during his quarter-final win over Stefanos Tsitsipas, Djokovic remained too solid for the Italian in the decisive moments. After sealing the victory, Djokovic fought back tears as he exited the court.
“It was such a tense match, a lot of emotions,” said Djokovic. “So much expectations and stress coming into today’s match because with a win I would secure a medal for my country. I’m thrilled, obviously I want to win the gold in a few days’ time. I’m going to do my best to do that but already this is a huge result for me under these circumstances.”
Earlier in the day, Carlos Alcaraz continued his incredible summer form as he demolished Félix Auger-Aliassime 6-1, 6-1 to reach the gold medal match in his first Olympics. Alcaraz, the second seed and still only 21, is the youngest men’s medallist since tennis was brought back into the Olympic Games in 1988.
Over the past two months, the Spaniard has enjoyed an astounding run, winning Roland Garros and Wimbledon before reaching the gold medal match. He was ruthless against Auger-Aliassime, completely outhitting the 23-year-old from the baseline, peppering him with drop shots and closing down the net at will.
While Alcaraz is ranked No 3 in the world regardless of results, there is no doubt he is the best player in the world and enjoying the most brilliant period of his young career. For once, Djokovic will head into a significant match as the clear underdog in what will be a rematch of the recent Wimbledon final, which ended with Alcaraz dismantling the 24-time grand slam champion in straight sets.
A day after enduring one of the most difficult losses of her career, a straight sets defeat by Zheng Qinwen on the clay courts she has dominated for three years, Iga Swiatek had to navigate a completely unfamiliar situation. In most tournaments, a loss marks the end of the road, but here at Roland Garros an Olympic medal was still on the line. Swiatek, the winner of four French Open titles, had to shake off her sorrows and ensure she took her chance.
The world No 1 handled the tricky circumstances exceptionally well, recovering to overwhelm Anna Karolina Schmiedlova of Slovakia 6-2, 6-1 and win her first Olympic medal, a bronze.
While Swiatek started off tentatively, spraying errors and falling down an early break, her game quickly kicked into gear. From 2-1 down in the opening set, the Pole conceded one further game as she picked apart her opponent’s serve and smothered the Slovak with her relentless, sustained aggression. It was a clean, professional performance against an inferior opponent.
As Swiatek clinched the final point, her initial celebration was an understated shake of her racket. But as she sat back down in her seat, tears flowed again. It may not have been the medal she returned to Paris for, but it is a meaningful achievement she will surely look back on with pride.
