Despite a recent knee surgery, Novak Djokovic showed no signs of slowing down as he advanced to his first Summer Olympics singles final by defeating Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti with scores of 6-4, 6-2 on Friday night.
On Sunday, Djokovic will face Carlos Alcaraz for the gold medal, marking a rematch of their recent Wimbledon final. At 37, Serbia’s Djokovic is the oldest man to compete in a men’s singles final at the Olympics, while Spain’s Alcaraz, at 21, is the youngest.
Djokovic’s journey to the semifinal was marked by previous Olympic challenges, holding a 0-3 record at this stage, each loss against players who went on to win the championship: Rafael Nadal in Beijing, Andy Murray in London, and Alexander Zverev in Tokyo. Djokovic has openly discussed these past hurdles.
His knee, injured during the French Open in early June leading to meniscus surgery in Paris, was a significant concern. Djokovic performed well despite experiencing “sharp pain” against Stefanos Tsitsipas in the quarterfinals. Challenges persisted during the match, including the chair umpire issuing him two-time violations and a warning for an audible obscenity.
After securing his victory, Djokovic celebrated by lying on his back on the court, a moment of relief and triumph as he spread his limbs and took in the victory.
