It may as well have started on papyrus; it's now playing out on streaming services. But the legend of Novak Djokovic continues to grow. This afternoon in Paris—age 37, weeks from knee surgery, weeks from losing the Wimbledon final, pitted against tennis's new dynamo—the Serb fulfilled his long, self avowed goal of winning Olympic singles gold. In the best match he has played this year, and in the first title he has won this year, Djokovic defeated Carlos Alcaraz of Spain, 7–6, 7–6 in a two-hour-and-52-minute classic.
The GOAT debate has long been settled with 24 majors. Djokovic has declared game-set-match on that competition, but now he has entered an entirely new pasture: Is this the greatest living athlete? With today's triumph, he has now won every major event at least three times. He has won every Masters 1000 title. He has now won Olympic gold. He's done it all by elevating his tennis when the stakes matter most—the abiding theme of his unrivaled career.
