"Not sure Novak Djokovic is going to stop"- Michael Chang in awe of 'phenomenal' Serb overcoming knee surgery and Carlos Alcaraz to win Paris Olympics

Michael Chang recently praised Novak Djokovic for quickly recovering from the knee injury he sustained during his French Open campaign and later winning Olympic gold after defeating Carlos Alcaraz at the same venue. The former world no. 2 also hailed Djokovic for reaching the Wimbledon final shortly after undergoing knee surgery.

Djokovic had sustained a torn meniscus during his fourth-round match against Francisco Cerundolo at the 2024 French Open. Consequently, after defeating the Argentine, the Serb withdrew from the tournament and underwent surgery in the French capital.

The 37-year-old also skipped the lead-up tournaments to Wimbledon 2024. However, showing resilience, he competed in the London major, defeating Vit Kopriva, Jacob Fearnley, Alexei Popyrin, Holger Rune, Alex de Minaur, and Lorenzo Musetti to reach the final against Carlos Alcaraz, where he eventually lost in straight sets.

The setback didn't dampen Djokovic's spirits, as he returned to Roland Garros for the Paris Olympics, the same venue where the knee injury had sidelined him. He defeated Matthew Ebden, Rafael Nadal, Dominik Koepfer, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Lorenzo Musetti, and Carlos Alcaraz to win his first Olympic gold medal.

On a recent episode of The Sit-Down podcast, Michael Chang praised Djokovic's ability to compete despite adversity and still reach the Wimbledon final before winning the Olympic gold medal. The American expressed that the Serb likely won’t be stoppin anytime soon.

"I’m not sure Novak is going to stop. In fact, I don’t think he ever will. What he’s done is absolutely incredible. Absolutely mind-boggling, even in the last few months. For him to play at Roland Garros, have surgery right after his last match there, and then go play and reach the Wimbledon final, that’s one thing," Chang said (via We love tennis).

Chang further marveled at Novak Djokovic's achievement, noting that his win over Alcaraz at the Olympics, especially at age 37, was incredible.

"But then to come back and beat Alcaraz, on clay, at the Olympics, at Roland Garros, I have no words to describe it. It’s just incredible, and he’s doing it at 37-years-old. It’s just phenomenal,” he added.

Not only did the 37-year-old secure his first Olympic gold, but he also became the fifth player to achieve a career golden slam, after Stefi Graff, Andre Agassi, Rafael Nadal, and Serena Williams.

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"Nothing will ever surpass seeing myself on the podium": Novak Djokovic after his Paris Olympics gold medal triumph over Carlos Alcaraz

Novak Djokovic at Olympic Games Paris 2024: Day 9 - Source: Getty

After his gold medal victory at the Paris Olympics, Novak Djokovic expressed that nothing compares to the feeling of standing on top of the podium while listening to Serbia's national anthem.

"Doubts always exist, but faith and the belief that I can achieve my goals are always stronger. I was aware that this was my last chance to win an Olympic gold, so I had to focus fully on my goal. Nothing will ever surpass seeing myself on the podium listening to the Serbian anthem with the flag raised," Djokovic told the press (via Punto de Break).

Djokovic has yet to win a tour-level title this season. After winning the gold medal in Paris, the World No. 2 took a break from competition and skipped the North American hard court swing leading up to the US Open.

Novak Djokovic will next compete at the New York major as the defending champion and will aim to win his 25th Grand Slam title. The tournament starts on Monday, August 26.