At 2-2, Djokovic and Alcaraz engaged in an intense, no-holds-barred forehand rally that has defined this match. Normally, when Alcaraz turns these rallies into a forehand rally against Djokovic (or anyone else), he’s the one who ends the rally with a thunderous, powerful winner into the corner that leaves his opponent scrambling uselessly for the ball. And Alcaraz hit a shot that seemed, for a split second, to do just that.
But not this time, not when Djokovic was trying to win something that had eluded him for 16 years. Instead of watching the ball pass him, the 37-year-old took a step back, pivoted his hips and sent an even harder, sharper-angled forehand crosscourt that for once left his 21-year-old opponent with no way to react. Djokovic had a winner, a mini-break and was leading 3-2. He would not lose another point.
“I don’t know what to say, I’m still in shock, honestly,” Djokovic said after his 2-0 loss to the Australian. “I put my heart, my soul, my body, my family, everything I had on the line to win Olympic gold at 37 years old. I finally did it.”
