The 24-time Major winner Novak Djokovic will seek his first Olympic Games gold medal in Paris next week. Novak should arrive in Paris in the upcoming days, with a notable change in comparison to his Tokyo campaign three years ago.
Djokovic will not join the rest of the Serbian Olympic squad in the Olympic Village, booking his accommodation to provide privacy while chasing the elusive title at Roland Garros. The core of the Serbian Olympic squad is based in Saint-Denis, ten miles away from the site of the tennis event.
Three years ago, Djokovic stayed in the Olympic Village in Tokyo, standing as the main star and gathering the experience from thousands of fellow athletes from different countries. He enjoyed every second of it, but it will be a different story in Paris, with Novak focusing on his tennis in the quest for an Olympic medal for his country.
Djokovic claimed a bronze during his first Olympic Games in Beijing 2008.
The Serb experienced a set in London four years later, suffering tight losses to Andy Murray and Juan Martin del Potro and missing a medal at Wimbledon.
Novak drew Juan Martin in the first round in Rio 2016 and suffered another heartbreaking loss, leaving the court in tears after a massive disappointment. Djokovic was the top favorite in Tokyo three years ago, playing well that season and reaching the semi-final after ousting Kei Nishikori 6-2, 6-0 in the quarter-final.
Novak sealed the deal in 70 minutes, dominating on serve and return and racing into the last four and closer to a medal. It was all about Djokovic from start to finish, earning his 16th consecutive victory over Nishikori and sailing into the semi-final without losing serve in four duels!
Novak served at only 48% (Kei followed him on a low percentage), although no one could notice that. The Serb dropped 11 points in seven service games and kept the pressure on the other side.
Novak Djokovic will not stay in the Olympic Village during the Olympic Games.
Nishikori stood miles away from that pace, landing six unreturned serves and working hard from the baseline. Djokovic clinched 60% of the return points and turned them into five breaks from ten opportunities. Novak held after deuces in the first game of the duel, grabbed a break in the next one and held at love for 3-0.
Djokovic wasted a break chance in game six before stepping in at 5-2, landing a crafty volley at the net and notching his second break to wrap up the set. Novak denied a break point in the first game of the second set and clinched a break in the next one after Kei’s forehand error, extending his streak and moving closer to the finish line.
Djokovic held at love for 3-0 and secured another break to extend the gap. The Serb delivered his fourth consecutive break at 5-0, providing a bagel and sailing into the semi-final.
Novak faced Alexander Zverev in the semi-final and controlled the scoreboard before suffering a crashing 1-6, 6-3, 6-1 loss in two hours and three minutes, missing a chance to compete in his first Olympic Games final.
Novak led 6-1, 3-2 before losing ground, allowing Alexander to clinch ten of the final 11 games and advance into the gold medal clash. Zverev had lost five straight matches against Djokovic, and his chances were not high in this one in the middle of the second set.
However, the German raised his level and took charge, losing serve three times and delivering five breaks in the second part of the duel for a notable victory. Novak did not lose serve before the semi-final. He suffered four in a row against Alexander, losing composure and fading from the court.
Zverev took 13 return points in the opening set but did not convert them into something concrete. On the other hand, Djokovic secured a double break for 6-1.
The German netted a volley in the fifth game of the second set, finding himself further behind and on the edge of defeat.
Suddenly, Novak lost serve at love a few minutes later, marking the beginning of his surprising downfall. Zverev clinched another break at 4-3 and landed a forehand winner in game nine, wrapping up the set and forcing a decider.
Alexander grabbed a break in the first game of the second set and defended four break points in the next one for 2-0. The German extended his streak on the return with a forehand winner in game three and served well in the following two games for 5-1.
Zverev delivered another break in the seventh game with a backhand winner, sealing the deal and leaving Djokovic without a place in the gold medal match. Novak battled for the bronze medal against Pablo Carreno Busta and experienced a 6-4, 6-7, 6-3 defeat in two hours and 47 minutes, heading home empty-handed.
The Spaniard denied all six break points and kept the pressure on world no. 1. Novak lost serve two times, claiming the second set in the tie break before losing serve early in the third. Carreno Busta served well in the remaining games, bringing the victory home and winning a medal for Spain.
