Roger Federer has long since retired from tennis. Rafael Nadal’s career also seems to be coming to an end. And Novak Djokovic? He wins Olympic gold – and wants to enjoy the moment.
Tennis star Novak Djokovic has left his future open after his Olympic victory in Paris. “Some of my family members have made a few hints as to whether that was it. I don’t know,” said the Serbian record Grand Slam tournament winner on ARD: “Now I just want to celebrate and enjoy the moment.”
Djokovic won the gold medal for the first time with his 7:6 (7:3), 7:6 (7:2) win in the final against the Spanish French Open and Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz. The former long-time world number one thus secured the last missing piece of the puzzle in his exceptional career.
“To be honest, I don’t know what the future holds,” said the 37-year-old in the press conference. However, he did not rule out another Olympic appearance in 2028 at the age of 41. “I want to play in Los Angeles, I enjoy playing for my country,” he said.
Olympic gold has enormous significance for Djokovic
The gold medal means a lot to him. “This is definitely the biggest sporting success I’ve had,” said the Serbian world number two in Paris, putting the victory above his 24 Grand Slam titles at the time.
In 2021, the Serbian failed in the semi-finals in Tokyo against eventual Olympic champion Alexander Zverev and finished fourth without a medal. Djokovic lost in the first round in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 and also finished fourth in London in 2012. His only previous medal came from his Olympic debut in 2008, when he won bronze in Beijing.
“The pressure was gigantic,” said Djokovic: “It’s difficult to describe what’s going on in your head. It was a huge relief when the match was over and the victory was clear. It was the hurdle I hadn’t been able to overcome in my career so far. “
