It's the final the tennis planet has been waiting for. There's no better poster boy for this battle for Olympic glory than Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic this sunday inside Paris 2024. The present with a lot of past against the present with a lot of future, but in a tournament that gives exclusivity: gold. The Serb is looking for him, who does not accept to end his career with bronze and knows that at the age of 37 this may well be his last chance. The Spaniard, 21 years old, wants to show who is the boss in modern tennis.
Although they faced each other less than a month ago, it is clear that the two are different. The Serbian has also seen other sports, such as a night out under the Eiffel Tower playing beach volleyball. Something that Alcaraz He said he missed it, locked in his tennis bubble because the demand doubled. A blessed and sentimental demand, from which he only freed himself after being constrained by his responsibility for a few days. «I have not had the chance to connect with other sports. I would have liked to encourage other athletes and see other disciplines, but that has been impossible for me. We are for one purpose: win a medal for our countrytry to make it the golden one. “We are one step away from that goal that I had and that all the Spaniards wanted”, admitted the Murcian with a gesture of resignation. Although he does feel that he is part of a team and that this is different, he has trouble walking around the Villa calmly because of the number of photo requests that plague him. “It is not like any other tournament. It is a pleasure to be able to share moments with other athletes and have the respect that we have for each other as athletes. That is why this is special. But when it comes to rest, food or schedules, sometimes it is not easy to arrive early or late.
He didn't even have time to do those disconnection and vitamin N walks, because it was a schedule of two matches a day and with no more training time than on Saturday, where he took it easy: “I'll come to training, half an hour.” or forty very easy minutes to get sensations. So I don't forget to play tennis. Very quiet. “Let's concentrate more on resting,” he said about his preparation for this glory day.
It will be the same Roland Garros he won two months ago, and the same rival he defeated less than a month ago at Wimbledon, but different. A Novak Djokovic The one who was extinguished without mercy in London is the one who has risen with desire and anger during these Games that he has been longing for after disappointment after disappointment. Chase this gold almost desperately. Because he is 37 years old and maybe Los Angeles 2028 is too far away, physically, in terms of hunger. And because he has fallen too many times in this tournament: he lost in the semi-finals of Beijing 2008, although he won the bronze against James Blake; lost in the semi-finals of London 2012 against Andy Murray and the bronze against Juan Martín del Potro; Del Potro defeated him in the first round of Rio 2016 and could not hide his tears, leaning on the bus stop that took the athletes to the Villa; he lost the semi-final of Tokyo 2020, against Alexander Zverev, and the bronze against Pablo Carreño. Too many Olympic defeats for an extraordinary competitor. “I thought about all the semi-finals that I have lost, that's why I started the match with more nerves and a lot of emotions”, admitted the Serb after the victory over Lorenzo Musetti, almost a title that he celebrated by throwing himself in the country. of Philippe Chatrier.
He confirms that the knee operated on June 5 is fine and that the fear he had after the duel against Tsitsipas is over. “I don't want to downplay his victory in the Wimbledon final. He dominated me and was the deserved winner. But I have more confidence in myself and my chances in the final.”
Everything is the same and also different between them. At 37, Djokovic can become the oldest tennis player to win gold since the sport returned to the Olympic program in Seoul in 1988; at 21, Alcaraz may well be the youngest of all time. “They are both going through different periods in their lives. For Carlos, everything is going smoothly, beautifully and perfectly. He won in Paris, he won in London and now he is coming back to the final of the Games. His way of playing, moving and facing everything is perfect. I am not sure if he will be able to understand the difficulty of this, because he is so young. But it is an incredible achievement in such a short time. However, he will recognise the importance of this final for his country”, explains Álex Corretja. On the other hand: “We could see how much it meant to Djokovic to reach the final, how he lay down on the court after his victory. It will be prepared. He moves much better than at Wimbledon. He knows how to handle pressure. For him, winning at least silver is a good achievement, but he is looking for gold. He himself is gold. “It is platinum”, confirms the former tennis player. Another Alcaraz-Djokovic. Everything the same and so different. Before, at 12:00, Sara Sorribes and Cristina Bucsa They will compete for bronze against Muchova and Noskova.