Novak Djokovic finally completed the golden slam on Sunday after he beat Carlos Alcaraz in two sets—7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (7-2)—to win the Paris Olympics men's tennis gold medal.
Alcaraz, who is already a four-time major winner at age 21, was visibly heartbroken by settling for the silver medal for Team Spain. He vowed to bring a gold medal to his home country at some point.
The day after the match Djokovic took some time to send Alcaraz an encouraging message on social media. The 24-time major winner didn't want Alcaraz to feel defeated about the loss, but instead inspired.
"Another epic final, @carlosalcaraz. El clasico," Djokovic wrote. "Congratulations to you and your team for an excellent Olympics. Considering your age, your energy and the way you play, you probably have 20 more Olympics ahead of you. Your gold will come. Until next time, amigo."
Another epic final, @carlosalcaraz. El clasico. Congratulations to you and your team for an excellent Olympics. Considering your age, your energy and the way you play, you probably have 20 more Olympics ahead of you 😆. Your gold will come. Until next time, amigo. pic.twitter.com/UNc47Ayetk
— Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) August 5, 2024
This could easily be Djokovic's last Olympic appearance at age 37. It was only the second time he'd ever medaled at the Olympics, the only other time coming at the 2008 Beijing Games when he captured bronze.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Novak Djokovic Sends Carlos Alcaraz an Encouraging Message After Olympic Gold Medal Match.
