Novak Djokovic adheres to his word as Olympic Village statement gets leaked after gold medal.
Novak Djokovic was only going one place after defeating his Olympic demons: addressing his fellow Serbians at the Games.
As promised, Novak Djokovic celebrated his gold medal at the Olympic Village by giving a stirring address to the Serbian squad. On Sunday, the tennis world number one defeated Carlos Alcaraz, completing his career golden slam.
He avenged his Wimbledon setback to the Spaniard by winning 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (7-2) at Roland-Garros. Djokovic, 37, promised to throw his own party with his teammates in their sector of the Village if he won.
He kept his promise, leading the festivities throughout the evening. In one video provided by a Serbian athlete, he is shown performing a traditional dance with their flag draped around his shoulders.
Later in the night, Djokovic addressed the crowd. He said, “You put me in charge, and I will never forget it.” If I hadn’t won the medal, I would have kept fighting.
“I hope this is a pelzer (motivational moment) for you. This is my fifth Games, I’m 37 years old, and I’ve never played in a final before, but I want you to think that everything is possible. “To be the best version of yourself every day, not just during competitions.”
Djokovic then quipped that he wouldn’t stretch out his rallying cry any longer, which elicited cheers from the audience. He entered Paris 2024 with only a bronze medal from Beijing 2008.
However, Djokovic is now only the fifth singles player to have won all four majors and the Olympics, joining Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams, Andre Agassi, and Steffi Graf.
He had not planned to stay at the Olympic Village throughout the event, noting beforehand: “I simply wanted to have more privacy, more peace, and somehow focus on my routine and preparation for the tournament, which is of course the highest priority.”
But he intended to reunite with his fellow competitors later. Serbia has one other medal in France, a gold in the mixed 10-meter air pistol team event won by Zorana Arunovic and Damir Mikec.
