Novak Djokovic beats Carlos Alcaraz to win Olympic tennis gold medal and complete ‘Golden Slam’

Novak Djokovic beat Carlos Alcaraz in dramatic fashion to win his long-awaited Olympic title and complete the career ‘Golden Slam’.

Djokovic, who has won a record 24 men’s major championships and every title in tennis, finally won an Olympic gold medal at his fifth Games.

The 37-year-old Serbian produced his best performance of the year as he beat French Open and Wimbledon champion Alcaraz 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (7-2) in front of a packed crowd in Paris.

He sealed the title with a decisive forehand, then turned to the racket box – arms outstretched in disbelief – before throwing his racket to the floor after a tense match that lasted nearly three hours.

After hugging Spain’s Alcaraz, Djokovic immediately burst into tears and knelt down in the middle of the court.

He then raised the Serbian flag and climbed into the stands to celebrate with his family and support team.

Djokovic is the fifth man to win the ‘Golden Slam’ in singles – all four majors and the Olympic title – after Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams, Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf.

“Every feeling I felt at the moment of victory was beyond anything I thought or hoped for,” Djokovic shared.

“Standing on the field with the Serbian flag flying, singing the Serbian national anthem, with a gold medal around my neck, I think there’s nothing better than that in professional sports.

“This is definitely the biggest sporting achievement I’ve ever had.”

Alcaraz, 21, was also in tears after the match, but would go on to win silver on his Olympic debut.

Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti won the bronze medal in singles after defeating Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime on Friday.