"Can't explain the effort I witnessed; GOAT"- Andy Roddick, Coco Gauff, others laud Novak Djokovic's Paris Olympics gold medal win against Alcaraz

The tennis community, including Coco Gauff, Andy Roddick, and Holger Rune, was amazed by Novak Djokovic’s spellbinding display against Carlos Alcaraz in the final of the 2024 Paris Olympics. The Serb showed immense grit to clinch his first gold medal at the Games after four failed attempts.

Less than a month after his straight-sets loss to Alcaraz in the final of the 2024 Wimbledon Championships, Djokovic turned the tables against the Spaniard in the Olympic gold medal match on Sunday, August 4. The match was loaded with intense rallies, with both players refusing to concede a single break throughout the contest.

Novak Djokovic created eight breakpoint opportunities while Carlos Alcaraz managed six, but both were denied by their opponent each time. During tiebreaks, though, the Serb proved more clutch, crossing the finish line with a 7-6 (3), 7-6 (2) scoreline.

Djokovic, a bronze medalist at Beijing 2008, thus clinched his first-ever gold after four unsuccessful Olympic appearances. He also completed his career Golden Slam with the win. The 37-year-old’s colleagues were impressed by his resilience and determination.

"The willpower. Cant explain the effort I just witnessed from Nole. GOAT. To get one last chance, tell everyone what your priority is, and the deliver against the current best. Emotional stuff. Lucky to see it. Props," former World No. 1 Andy Roddick wrote on X.

"That’s it for me… Novak Djokovic, the undisputed of the tennis court," Athens 2004 silver medalist Mardy Fish said.

What makes the victory on Court Philippe-Chatrier sweeter is that the World No. 2 suffered a heartbreaking knee injury on that very court following his fourth-round match at Roland Garros in June. His coming up trumps against all odds was thus celebrated by Martina Navratilova and others.

"Unbelievable effort from @DjokerNole to win the Olympics now- at his age and a knee surgery to boot- truly phenomenal!!! He fully deserves the gold !" Martina Navratilova wrote.

"Not only an amazing guy but also the greatest competitor ever. Huge congratulations @djokernole for your gold medal and thank you for being a constant inspiration," Holger Rune wrote on Instagram.

Victoria Azarenka, who has been a huge supporter of the 24-time Grand Slam champion, too, celebrated his victory.

"Oh wow. Novak @DjokerNole has done it all in our sport! What a legend! Unbelievable! Bravo Wow wow wow," she said.

"Career Golden Slam!!! Schatzi, well done,” Boris Becker said.

"Love him or hate him, you have to admit this is pretty incredible," Australian tennis player Ellen Perez wrote on Instagram.

"Insane," Coco Gauff chimed in.

Here are a few more reactions from tennis players, including Juan Martin Del Potro and Paris Olympics women's singles gold medalist Zheng Qinwen.

Zheng Qinwen, Coco Gauff, Juan Martin Del Potro, and Ellen Perez on Instagram

Ana Ivanovic, Holger Rune, Hamad Medjedovic, and Holger Rune on Instagram

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Novak Djokovic won his first title of 2024 at Paris Olympics by defeating Carlos Alcaraz

Novak Djokovic pictured at the 2024 Paris Olympics - Source: Getty

It should be noted that Novak Djokovic hadn’t won a single title this season before the 2024 Paris Olympics. His first final of the year came just three weeks ago, at the Wimbledon Championships, where Carlos Alcaraz beat him for the second year running.

At the time, the Serb had said:

"In order to really have a chance to beat these guys (Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner) in the Grand Slam latter stages or Olympics, I’m gonna have to play much better than I did today and feel much better than I did today. I'm gonna work on it," he told the press.

Since 2023, Novak Djokovic had made his intentions clear about the Paris Olympics, hinting that it was, realistically, his last chance at clinching gold. The Serb faced a race against time to accomplish the goal due to his recent knee surgery. He took extra measures to ensure that he kept his focus by training in Montenegro and avoiding the Olympic Village.

On Sunday, the 37-year-old clinched his 99th career title to become the oldest men’s singles Olympic winner in tennis history. He is also the first such player to win without losing a set.