Novak Djokovic has been given an apology after clinching the men’s tennis gold medal at the Paris Olympics.
Novak Djokovic received an apology after defeating Carlos Alcaraz at the Paris Olympics (Image: GETTY)
Novak Djokovic has received an apology from Eurosport after the television channel accompanied his name with a Croatia flag in the aftermath of his victory over Carlos Alcaraz in the Olympic Games gold medal match.
The Serbian ace got the better of his Spanish opponent in straight sets, with each set being settled by tiebreaks.
Djokovic’s victory means he has now completed the Golden Slam, having also won the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and US Open
Djokovic has endured a tough year on the court after failing to win any of the first three Grand Slams. And he was played off the court when he went head-to-head with Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final last month, with the 21-year-old winning in straight sets.
But Djokovic produced a scintillating display to overcome Alcaraz on the clay courts of Roland Garros on Sunday.
As a proud Serbian, the player may have been disappointed with Eurosport’s blunder. And on Monday, the broadcaster released a statement that read: “We deeply regret the mistake that was made when choosing a flag emoticon to post on a social network and sincerely apologise. Once again, we congratulate Novak on a truly historic moment for him and his country.”
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Djokovic has become only the fifth player to complete the Golden Slam after Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams, Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf.
The veteran has won 24 Grand Slam titles throughout his illustrious career and is among the favourites to win a 25th major title at the US Open next month.
And following his triumph over Alcaraz, the blockbuster star explained: “Everything I felt in that moment when I won surpassed everything I thought or hoped that it would.
Being on that court with the Serbian flag raising, singing the Serbian anthem, with the gold around my neck, I think nothing can beat that in terms of professional sport. It definitely stands out as the biggest sporting achievement I have had.”
And after being asked if he had competed tennis, the 37-year-old added: “Yes it’s complete because I completed all the achievements with this gold medal, but no because I love this sport. I don’t play only to win the tournaments.
“I don’t know about the future, I really want to be in the present moment to celebrate. It was a long journey, many, many years of dreaming to be holding the gold medal. So now it’s about happiness, joy and celebration.”