“I have achieved a lot of great things in this sport, but never finals of the Olympic Games,” Novak Djokovic declared after defeating Lorenzo Musetti in straight sets in the semifinals. But in doing so, he has landed himself in a greater challenge, or maybe has found an opportunity for redemption! The answer to it will soon be revealed as he tackles his Wimbledon rival, Carlos Alcaraz, in the finals. While the spaniard vowed before the ultimate showdown, it seems to have worked in Djoker’s favor.

Soon after making it to the finals in Paris, Alcaraz dropped a major challenge against his probable opponent Novak Djokovic. “It’s going to be a really special moment for me, in my life, in my career, so I’m going to try and enjoy this moment. To the Spaniards who watch me on TV, tell them I am going to put on a show in the final and that I am going to give them what they want: the gold.” Djoker, who had lost three of his last four SFs in Olympic Games, wasn’t far behind in revealing his true motive behind his first Olympic finals.

After beating Italy’s Musetti 6-4, 6-2, Djokovic uncovered his raw emotions admitting how it was a tough “hurdle” that he wanted to overcome. “I lost quite comfortably to Carlos [Alcaraz] at Wimbledon but this is a different surface and I’m playing better and moving better than I was at Wimbledon, and in a way I have nothing to lose as I already have a medal, so I’m going to go for it.”

The 24-time Grand Slam champion has indeed broken the “barrier of the semifinals,” which was his goal for the year. For context. Among all his previous four attempts at the Games, he only managed to win one bronze medal in the singles in 2008. Although the Serbinator has qualified three times in the quarterfinals since then, the feeling of a semifinal victory has eluded him, until this year. 

While he has had a pebbly road to success at the Olympics, Alcaraz is reigning like a king in his first attempt itself. With two consecutive Grand Slam titles from this year alone, the Spaniard is making his way through the top with ease. Probably when he has Djokovic on the other side of the net, he gains extra motivation, and we have especially seen it at Wimbledon, where he has defeated the seven-time champion, Djokovic, twice in a row. 

If you go by the statistics, they are tied at 3-3 in their head-to-head count, which perfectly captures the high-intensity match that they put on display in all their encounters. Therefore, hold on to your seats as they begin to fight with everything they have to bring a medal to their nation. But before stepping onto the clay once again, let’s explore why Djokovic wants to celebrate his semifinal victory for a little more time!

Djokovic wants to “celebrate” his bronze medal victory at the Olympics before taking on Alcaraz!

“I’m very proud and thrilled to bring a medal to secure a medal for Serbia, whatever happens on Sunday. Of course, I want to go a step further and try to win the gold,” a confident Djokovic explained in a post-match press conference. Three years ago in 2021, it was Alexander Zverev, who put an end to Djokovic’s dream of winning a bronze medal in the semifinals. But this year, the former World No. 1 is not ready to give up without putting up a fight. Although he has yet to win an ATP title this season, it seems that the 37-year-old player has not lost his morale. 

Even when a knee injury provoked a roadblock in his game, he overcame it with sheer hard work and dedication. It has rightfully paid him off. And now he wants to bask in the glory of success at the Olympics. “I’m going to do my best on Sunday, but obviously I want to celebrate something that I’ve never achieved before. So I’m very, very thrilled,” he concluded.

It is quite obvious that none of them will leave an opportunity to reign over the other. And for us, it’s surely going to be a match that we won’t trade for anything!