PARIS — There is no good explanation for what Novak Djokovic did here Sunday afternoon except that he is Novak Djokovic. At 37 years old, two months after surgery to repair a torn meniscus, Djokovic was clearly hobbling and frequently appeared to be in pain. Carlos Alcaraz, who happens to be the best player in the world, taunted Djokovic with drop shots, forcing him to go where his knee did not want to take him. Alcaraz never lost a service game, and he finished 33 with winners, compared to 15 for Djokovic. What he did not finish with was a gold medal.
Djokovic beat Alcaraz, 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (7-2). Djokovic has always been an expressive player, but there were times in this match when he seemed especially frustrated by forces beyond his control. His problem was not hitting shots; it was getting to them. Djokovic is the best in history at seizing control of a point he seems sure to lose. But in this match, there were balls he would normally track down that he didn’t even bother to chase—or when he did, he got there later than we have come to expect.
