Carlos Alcaraz may have become Novak Djokovic’s favorite player as the Serbian tennis superstar revealed after a star-studded US Open exhibition that he funnily thanked the 21-year-old for “letting him” win gold at the Paris Olympics.
On Wednesday evening in New York, Djokovic and Alcaraz met on the court again after the Serb teamed up with John McEnroe while the Spaniard shared the same side of the net with Andre Agassi. But unlike 17 days earlier – when Djokovic beat Alcaraz 7-6 (3) 7-6 (2) in the Paris Olympics final – this time it was in a much more relaxed manner.
And after the match was over, 37-year-old Djokovic made sure to let Alcaraz know how much it meant to him to beat the Spanish four-time Grand Slam champion and accomplish one of his biggest goals.
“I told Carlos [Alcaraz] at the net when we finished the final that I was very grateful to him for letting me win the gold. He’s probably going to have like 3 gold medals before he retires,” Djokovic revealed.
Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, John McEnroe and Andre Agassi
Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, John McEnroe and Andre Agassi© Getty Images Sport – Sarah Stier
Djokovic completed his resume
After sealing the all-time Grand Slam record last year and also becoming the first-ever player in tennis history with over 400 weeks at the world No. 1 spot, Djokovic had everything but one thing – an Olympic gold medal was still missing.
But since Djokovic hadn’t won any titles in the first part of 2024 and was coming off a brutal Wimbledon final defeat, some thought he wouldn’t stand much of a chance if he met Alcaraz at the Olympics. And exactly that happened but Djokovic managed to get the job done.
“It’s a big lesson for me. I’m super grateful for the blessing to win a historic gold medal for my country to complete the Golden Slam and to complete all the records,” Djokovic said following his win.
At this upcoming US Open, Djokovic will try to win his 25th Grand Slam.