Novak Djokovic fires warning to ‘best player in the world’ Carlos Alcaraz ahead of Olympic final
Novak Djokovic described Carlos Alcaraz as the “best player in the world” ahead of their blockbuster Olympic final – but revealed he feels more “confident” than he did ahead of their Wimbledon clash.
At the fifth time of asking, world No 2 and top seed Djokovic reached his first gold medal match at the Olympic Games, thanks to a 6-4, 6-2 win over 11th seed Lorenzo Musetti.
The Serbian is guaranteed at least a silver medal but will have to beat Alcaraz over best-of-five sets to snatch gold, with the Spaniard into the final on his Olympic debut.
Both men have been hugely impressive in Paris, with neither having dropped a set to reach the gold medal match.
It is the second big final between the two in a matter of weeks, with less than a month passing since their Wimbledon showdown.
That was a comprehensive straight-sets win for world No 3 Alcaraz, who added a second SW19 title to the French Open crown in June.
Speaking ahead of the final, Djokovic described his 21-year-old opponent as the “best player in the world”, and conceded he was not the favourite.
However, he fired a warning shot to Alcaraz, claiming he felt more “confident” heading into this match than the Wimbledon final.
He said: “I don’t consider myself a favourite on Sunday because Alcaraz has proven [he is] the best player in the world at the moment.
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“He won Roland Garros, he won Wimbledon, beat me in the finals quite comfortable there, reached the finals [here] without dropping a set. I mean I did too but I think the way he is playing, he’s definitely a favourite.
“But it’s Olympics, it’s really anybody’s game I think. We haven’t faced each other on clay in a while, I think the only time we played here was last year’s semi-final of Roland Garros.
“I feel like I’m a different player than I was in Wimbledon, the way I move, the way I’m striking the ball.
“Not to take anything away from his win in Wimbledon finals, he was dominating and deservedly a winner, but I feel more confident about myself and my chances in the finals.”
This will be the seventh meeting between the two, with the head-to-head currently level at three wins apiece.
The two have met on Court Philippe Chatrier previously, with Djokovic picking up a four-set win in the semi-final of the French Open in 2023.
Djokovic will not only be looking for a first gold medal but also a first title of 2024, with Wimbledon the only final of his season so far.
The Serbian seems to have rediscovered his form after a slow start to 2024, defying a recent meniscus injury to reach two of the biggest finals going.
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