Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz will meet for the men’s tennis singles gold medal at the Paris Olympics on Sunday in the latest installment of a fascinating old-vs.-young rivalry that included a matchup in the Wimbledon final three weeks ago.
Alcaraz won that one — “Quite comfortably,” Djokovic acknowledged — just like he did when they played each other for last year’s trophy at the All England Club.
When Alcaraz’s semifinal in Paris ended Friday afternoon — before Djokovic played in his later semifinal that night — the 21-year-old Spaniard was asked what it might be like to possibly take on the 37-year-old Serbian again.
“Hopefully,” Alcaraz said with a chuckle, “the same as Wimbledon.”
Here is what else to know about the men’s tennis singles final:
Why does Djokovic vs. Alcaraz for the men’s tennis singles gold matter?
Djokovic is the oldest man in an Olympic tennis singles final; Alcaraz is the youngest.
Djokovic is considered by many to be the greatest men’s tennis player in history, a stance bolstered by statistics such as his 24 Grand Slam titles (more than any other man) and his 400-plus weeks spent at No. 1 in the rankings (more than any man or woman).
There is basically just one thing missing from his resume: an Olympic gold. Before beating Lorenzo Musetti in Paris on Friday, Djokovic had been 0-3 in Summer Games semifinals, losing to the eventual champion each time — Rafael Nadal in Beijing, Andy Murray in London, Alexander Zverev in Tokyo. Djokovic left the 2008 Olympics with a bronze, but he really wanted to improve on that now.
Why is Djokovic wearing a gray sleeve on his knee at the Olympics?
Djokovic tore the meniscus in his right knee during a fourth-round victory at the French Open on June 3, then had surgery in Paris two days later. Most people figured he would need to skip Wimbledon, which started on July 1, and the Olympics. Nope.
He showed up at the All England Club, wearing a gray sleeve on his right knee, and while it took him a few matches to get going, eventually Djokovic looked very much like himself. Until, that is, he took on Alcaraz for the title.
At the Summer Games, there was only one match where the knee was an issue — when he felt pain in the second set of a victory over Stefanos Tsitsipas in the quarterfinals Thursday night. But he put in plenty of work with his physiotherapist between then and his match against Musetti, when all was OK.
“I feel like I’m a different player than I was in Wimbledon. The way I move. The way I’m striking the ball,” said Djokovic, who eliminated Nadal in the second round in Paris.
“I feel more confident about myself and chances in the final” on Sunday, he said.
Is Djokovic or Alcaraz the betting favorite for the gold?
Alcaraz is favored to win the men’s singles final, according to BetMGM Sportsbook, which lists him with a -250 money line. Djokovic is at 195. If Djokovic manages to win in straight sets, that would pay off at 360.
“The way he’s playing,” Djokovic said, “he’s definitely a favorite.”
How to watch Djokovic vs. Alcaraz for the men’s tennis gold
The men’s final is set to be the second match at Court Philippe Chatrier on Sunday, starting no earlier than 2 p.m. local time (8 a.m. EDT) and 3:30 p.m. in India. In India, the match will be broadcast on the Sports18 channel. You can also live-stream it via the Jio Cinema app and website.
What is the head-to-head record between Djokovic and Alcaraz?
They have met a total of six times previously and each man has won three of those matches.
The only time they played at Court Philippe Chatrier was in the 2023 French Open semifinals. Djokovic won that one 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1 when Alcaraz succumbed to full-body cramps during the last two sets.