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olympicsAugust 4, 2024

PARIS (AP) — Novak Djokovic won his first

HOWARD FENDRICH, Associated Press
Serbia's Novak Djokovic reacts after awinning a point against Spain's Carlos Alcaraz during the men's singles tennis final at the Roland Garros stadium during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Louise Delmotte)
Serbia's Novak Djokovic reacts after awinning a point against Spain's Carlos Alcaraz during the men's singles tennis final at the Roland Garros stadium during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Louise Delmotte)ASSOCIATED PRESS
Spain's Carlos Alcaraz runs to return the ball to Serbia's Novak Djokovic during the men's singles tennis final at the Roland Garros stadium during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
Spain's Carlos Alcaraz runs to return the ball to Serbia's Novak Djokovic during the men's singles tennis final at the Roland Garros stadium during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)ASSOCIATED PRESS
Serbia's Novak Djokovic smashed the ball to Spain's Carlos Alcaraz during the men's singles tennis final at the Roland Garros stadium during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Serbia's Novak Djokovic smashed the ball to Spain's Carlos Alcaraz during the men's singles tennis final at the Roland Garros stadium during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)ASSOCIATED PRESS
Serbia's Novak Djokovic reacts as he plays Spain's Carlos Alcaraz during the men's singles tennis final at the Roland Garros stadium during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Louise Delmotte)
Serbia's Novak Djokovic reacts as he plays Spain's Carlos Alcaraz during the men's singles tennis final at the Roland Garros stadium during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Louise Delmotte)ASSOCIATED PRESS
Spain's Carlos Alcaraz clenches his fist as he plays Serbia's Novak Djokovic during the men's singles tennis final at the Roland Garros stadium during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Louise Delmotte)
Spain's Carlos Alcaraz clenches his fist as he plays Serbia's Novak Djokovic during the men's singles tennis final at the Roland Garros stadium during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Louise Delmotte)ASSOCIATED PRESS
Serbia's Novak Djokovic eyes the ball as he plays Spain's Carlos Alcaraz during the men's singles tennis final at the Roland Garros stadium during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Serbia's Novak Djokovic eyes the ball as he plays Spain's Carlos Alcaraz during the men's singles tennis final at the Roland Garros stadium during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)ASSOCIATED PRESS
Spain's Carlos Alcaraz serves to Serbia's Novak Djokovic during the men's singles tennis final at the Roland Garros stadium during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Louise Delmotte)
Spain's Carlos Alcaraz serves to Serbia's Novak Djokovic during the men's singles tennis final at the Roland Garros stadium during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Louise Delmotte)ASSOCIATED PRESS
Spain's Carlos Alcaraz returns the ball to Serbia's Novak Djokovic during the men's singles tennis final at the Roland Garros stadium during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
Spain's Carlos Alcaraz returns the ball to Serbia's Novak Djokovic during the men's singles tennis final at the Roland Garros stadium during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)ASSOCIATED PRESS
Spain's Carlos Alcaraz sticks his tongue out as he plays Serbia's Novak Djokovic during the men's singles tennis final at the Roland Garros stadium during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Louise Delmotte)
Spain's Carlos Alcaraz sticks his tongue out as he plays Serbia's Novak Djokovic during the men's singles tennis final at the Roland Garros stadium during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Louise Delmotte)ASSOCIATED PRESS
Spain's Carlos Alcaraz returns the ball to Serbia's Novak Djokovic during the men's singles tennis final at the Roland Garros stadium during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Spain's Carlos Alcaraz returns the ball to Serbia's Novak Djokovic during the men's singles tennis final at the Roland Garros stadium during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)ASSOCIATED PRESS
Spain's Carlos Alcaraz stretches to return the ball to Serbia's Novak Djokovic during the men's singles tennis final at the Roland Garros stadium during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
Spain's Carlos Alcaraz stretches to return the ball to Serbia's Novak Djokovic during the men's singles tennis final at the Roland Garros stadium during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)ASSOCIATED PRESS
Spain's Carlos Alcaraz gestures at the net as he plays Serbia's Novak Djokovic during the men's singles tennis final at the Roland Garros stadium during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
Spain's Carlos Alcaraz gestures at the net as he plays Serbia's Novak Djokovic during the men's singles tennis final at the Roland Garros stadium during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)ASSOCIATED PRESS
Serbia's Novak Djokovic cools off during a break as he plays Spain's Carlos Alcaraz during the men's singles tennis final at the Roland Garros stadium during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Serbia's Novak Djokovic cools off during a break as he plays Spain's Carlos Alcaraz during the men's singles tennis final at the Roland Garros stadium during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)ASSOCIATED PRESS
Serbia's Novak Djokovic reacts during a break as he plays Spain's Carlos Alcaraz during the men's singles tennis final at the Roland Garros stadium during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Serbia's Novak Djokovic reacts during a break as he plays Spain's Carlos Alcaraz during the men's singles tennis final at the Roland Garros stadium during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)ASSOCIATED PRESS
Spectators react after Spain's Carlos Alcaraz, right, won a point against Serbia's Novak Djokovic during the men's singles tennis final at the Roland Garros stadium during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
Spectators react after Spain's Carlos Alcaraz, right, won a point against Serbia's Novak Djokovic during the men's singles tennis final at the Roland Garros stadium during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)ASSOCIATED PRESS

PARIS (AP) — Novak Djokovic won his first Olympic gold medal by beating Carlos Alcaraz 7-6 (3), 7-6 (2) in an enthralling men’s tennis singles final Sunday, giving the 37-year-old from Serbia the last significant accomplishment missing from his glittering resume.

Djokovic's impressive career already featured a men's-record 24 Grand Slam titles and the most weeks spent at No. 1 in the rankings by any man or woman. It also already contained a Summer Olympics medal, from 2008, but it was a bronze — and he has made clear that simply was not sufficient.

Until he got past bronze medalist Lorenzo Musetti of Italy in the semifinals Friday, Djokovic was 0-3 in that round at the Games. He lost to the eventual gold winner each time: Rafael Nadal at Beijing in 2008, Andy Murray at London in 2012, and Alexander Zverev in Tokyo three years ago.

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In Paris, wearing a gray sleeve over the right knee that required surgery for a torn meniscus two months ago, Djokovic faced Nadal in the second round and eliminated his longtime rival in straight sets. Now Djokovic is the oldest man to win the singles gold in his sport since 1908 — and prevented Spain's Alcaraz, who is 21, from becoming the youngest.

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AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games

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