In the stands of the Philippe-Chatrier court, the inscription, in large red ochre letters, is visible to all: “Victory belongs to the most tenacious.” The quote is attributed to a famous aviator, Roland Garros, who was killed in action during the First World War and who the stadium that is home to the French Open is named after. In keeping with the globalization of tennis, the phrase is also displayed in English.

But when Novak Djokovic got down on his knees on the clay, raising his arms to the sky in celebration of the Olympic title he had coveted for so long, did his misty eyes even see the words, as if written for him, right in front of him, a few meters above his head?

The Serbian player, who defeated Carlos Alcaraz (7-6 [3], 7-6 [2]) on Sunday, August 4, in the tournament’s finest match, is a model of perseverance. It took a good dose of tenacity to win this hard-fought battle against the 21-year-old Spanish prodigy. In a breathless first set, of the 13 break points – eight for the Spaniard, five for the Serbian – all were saved. This set, in which only the tie-break was unbalanced, lasted an hour and a half.

Ring of clay, adorned with a net

Numbers don’t tell the whole story of the intensity of the encounter and, at times, its sublime violence. More than a match, it was a duel, with sparks of talent and fierce will. For two hours and 50 minutes, the players dealt out racket strokes like uppercuts. Even the most subtle drop shots – and there were plenty of them – were distilled in an attempt to speed up the outcome. A ring of clay, adorned with a net.

On their own service games, neither of them wavered. Giving in was out of the question. It took another tie-break to break the impasse. At that point, Djokovic’s nerves of steel, his years of experience accumulated over the course of his 24 Grand Slam titles, and perhaps also his rarest lost finals, made him unbeatable.

Having won the French Open in June and then Wimbledon in July – against Djokovic – Alcaraz, who had never conceded a major final, concluded the tournament with his head held high, despite the disappointment. “I had a hungry Novak in front of me,” said Alcaraz. “He played at an impressive level. He did not let me take the chances I had. I gave everything I had on the court.”

In recent months, however, the Serbian has had his share of doubts. At the beginning of 2024, he revealed he was feeling low. Then in the spring came injury season, with problems to his right knee prematurely ending his participation at the French Open in June. Had he served his time? Would he recover from his operation in time for the Games? In nine days of tournament play, Djokovic provided very direct answers, always in two sets – he didn’t lose a set during the whole tournament.

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