LESS THAN TWO Hours after his devastating defeat in the Wimbledon final, Novak Djokovic was already focused on the rest of the season.
Djokovic, 37, had just been beaten by Carlos Alcaraz 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 (4), putting his dreams of a record 25th Grand Slam title on hold. But it was clear he was trying to move on as quickly as possible when he spoke to reporters at his news conference later that afternoon.
“Well, the Olympics and the US Open are the two big goals for the rest of the year for me,” Djokovic said. “I hope I can be at my best.” [for] “Those two tournaments. That's all I can say for now.”
Djokovic's response should come as no surprise given his virtually unparalleled career and the fact that he is the reigning US Open champion. But he has never enjoyed the same success at the Olympics. He comes into his fifth Games with just one medal: a singles bronze in 2008.
So now, two weeks after his disappointing Wimbledon result, Djokovic is back in Paris for what could be his final Games, with his sights set on the one thing that has eluded him throughout his storied career: Olympic gold.
Djokovic made his Roland Garros debut on Saturday with a convincing 6-0, 6-1 victory over Matthew Ebden. He will face either Rafael Nadal or Marton Fucsovics in the second round hoping to move one step closer to his dream.
“[It’s so special to be] “It's part of the oldest sporting event in the history of sport,” Djokovic told the International Tennis Federation in May. “Of course, winning a gold medal or winning any medal for my country is a big wish and a desire. It's one of the most important things I've ever done.” [my] higher priorities and objectives for [this] season, there's no secret to that.”
There is little more Djokovic has achieved nothing in tennis.
Since turning professional in 2003, Djokovic has won the Australian Open 10 times (the most of any player in the Open era), and is a seven-time Wimbledon champion, a four-time US Open champion, and a three-time French Open champion. He is tied with Margaret Court for the most major singles titles in the history of the sport, and has the most in the Open era.
Djokovic has won 98 singles titles (and one in doubles) and has held the world number one ranking for 428 weeks, another record. Djokovic even led Serbia to its first and only Davis Cup title in Belgrade in 2010, something he later called “the best feeling I've ever had in my life as a tennis player.”
But while he has always spoken of how much it means to him to be able to represent his country and how much he enjoys the experience of the Olympic Games, he has never been able to translate his typical dominance to the sport's biggest stage.
In his Olympic debut at Beijing 2008, Djokovic was seeded third behind Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. Playing in a best-of-three-set format (a notable departure from the best-of-five-set format used by men at Grand Slams), Djokovic steamrolled through the draw until Nadal, the future gold medalist, defeated him in the semifinals 6-4, 1-6, 6-4. In the bronze medal match, Djokovic edged out James Blake 6-3, 7-6 (4). Djokovic, who had won his first major title earlier that season in Melbourne, could not hide his emotion after the match.
“[I’m] “I'm very happy. I think winning a medal at the Olympics is a great achievement for any athlete,” Djokovic said. “Not many athletes get the chance to win a medal. But for me, this bronze, which I won here, shines like a gold because I think I played pretty good tennis throughout the tournament.”
Djokovic also played doubles alongside Nenad Zimonjic, but the pair lost in the first round.
In 2012, Djokovic, who had then won five Grand Slams, was named Serbia's flag bearer at the opening ceremony. He described it as “an out-of-body experience” and a “huge pleasure, responsibility and honour”. The competition was held at Wimbledon, where he had won the title the previous year, but Djokovic lost to eventual gold medallist Andy Murray in the semi-finals. In the bronze medal match he fell to Juan Martín del Potro in straight sets. Djokovic lost again in the first round of doubles, this time to Viktor Troicki.
Four years later, on the hard court in Rio, Djokovic was the top seed (and had now won 12 majors), but Del Potro upset him in the first round. Djokovic and Zimonjic lost in the second round of doubles.
But no defeat hurt more than the one in 2021. Djokovic arrived in Tokyo having won all three Grand Slams of the year, delayed by the pandemic. His goal was to join Steffi Graf in 1988 as the only tennis players in history to achieve the “Golden Slam” – all four major titles and an Olympic singles gold in the same season.
But in the semifinals, Djokovic once again saw his dreams dashed against eventual gold medalist Alexander Zverev. He had easily taken the first set 6-1, but then won just four games in the final two sets. Things got even worse in the bronze medal match against Pablo Carreno Busta, as Djokovic struggled to control his emotions and abused his racquet on multiple occasions. He lost the match 6-4, 6-7 (6), 6-3, and then withdrew from the mixed doubles bronze medal match (with Nina Stojanovic), scheduled to begin later in the day, citing a left shoulder injury. He had played seven matches in four days in all draws, and it seemed like it had all taken its toll.
“I played under medication, with incredible pain and fatigue,” Djokovic said.
He was never able to fully regain his season's momentum and lost the US Open final weeks later to Daniil Medvedev, thus frustrating his tight goal of a calendar Grand Slam.
“[It] It was also [an] “It's been a very emotionally demanding period for me in the last five or six months,” Djokovic said after the loss. “Slams and Olympics… Everything was coming together for me here and I was kind of piling up all the emotions I've been through. Unfortunately I didn't manage to get to the final stage.”
DJOKOVIC NOW RETURNS The Swiss comes into the Olympics in a radically different position than he was three years ago. Not only has he not won a Grand Slam this season, he has not won a title of any kind either. It is his worst start to a season since 2006. Although he has said he has no plans to retire, he knows time is running out. He will be 41 when the 2028 Olympics begin.
And returning to Roland Garros, home of the French Open and Olympic competition, could also prove tricky. He injured his knee during the French Open in June and was forced to withdraw before his quarter-final match. On June 5, he underwent surgery for a torn medial meniscus in his right knee, initially leaving his fitness for Wimbledon in doubt.
Many speculated that he would skip the grass-court tournament to focus on his rehabilitation and continue training on clay ahead of the Olympics. But Djokovic arrived at the All England Club a week before the main draw began. After several successful and pain-free workouts, he played and was impressive throughout his career, showing few signs of discomfort or difficulty moving.
“If someone told me I would play [in the] “If I had played the Wimbledon final three weeks ago, I would have definitely accepted it,” she said.
Djokovic and his teammates have had to quickly readapt to clay after spending the last month on grass. The surfaces couldn't be more different (clay is significantly slower than grass) and the way players move on the court is different too. It will be tricky even for those without physical ailments or injuries. Perhaps partly because of this, Djokovic will only be playing singles at these Games.
But although Djokovic looked tired and a little dejected after the Wimbledon final, he was not discouraged.
“We'll see how I feel physically and mentally. I hope I can find the right tennis because I'm going to need everything I have and more to reach the final of the Olympic Games.”
