"Carlos Alcaraz kicked my a**" - Novak Djokovic credits Wimbledon 2024 final loss to Spaniard for fueling his Paris Olympics gold medal win

Novak Djokovic recently credited his gold medal win at the 2024 Paris Olympics to his loss against Carlos Alcaraz at Wimbledon in July. The Serb made these remarks during the ongoing US Open.

Djokovic was aiming to win his record-equaling eighth Wimbledon title this year when he faced Alcaraz in the final. However, his hopes were dashed as the Spaniard defeated him 6-2, 6-2, 7-6(4) for the second year in a row at SW19, claiming his fourth Major title.

A month later, the Serb got his revenge against the Spaniard in Paris. They met again in the final, marking their seventh Tour-level encounter, and the 24-time Grand Slam champion secured his maiden Olympic gold medal with a 7-6(3), 7-6(2) score.

Novak Djokovic spoke about his campaign at the Games after his opening round 6-2, 6-2, 6-4 win against Radu Albot at the US Open on August 27. He told ESPN:

"I do actually believe in destiny. I do believe that the higher forces are in play at certain stages of your life, of your career. This was one of those moments. It was like a movie script. Playing [Carlos] Alcaraz in the final and a few weeks before that we played finals of Wimbledon and he kicked my a** on the court, honestly."

"He played so well. I think that actually worked in my favor because I felt like I probably cannot do worse than I did against in Wimbledon final. I knew he was gonna come out on court and play on a high level. But I felt good about my chances because the entire tournament I felt great, played great," he added.

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Novak Djokovic to take on compatriot Laslo Djere in US Open 2024 2R

Novak Djokovic pictured at the 2024 US Open | Image Source: Getty

Novak Djokovic is set to face his compatriot Laslo Djere in the second round of the 2024 US Open on August 28. He is focused on successfully defending his title at Flushing Meadows and aims to win his record 25th Grand Slam.

The 37-year-old told the media about the match:

"It's great. I mean for Serbian tennis, obviously, that two Serbian players are facing each other. It's a guaranteed third round for one of the Serbian guys. Hopefully, it's going to be me, but Djere is a guy that really likes playing on a big stage."

Djokovic and Djere have faced each other twice on the ATP Tour, with the former leading the head-to-head 2-0. Their most recent encounter was at last year's US Open, where the Belgrade native won in four sets.