Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic, who clinched the Olympic gold in Paris 2024, a title that had been missing from his collection, declared that the gold medal won against Carlos Alcaraz is "the greatest success" of his career.

"It had eluded me; I got bronze in my first Games and couldn't win it in the next three. Being here at 37 years old, facing one of the best rivals in the world, who just won Roland Garros and has incredibly high-quality tennis, makes this the greatest success of my career," stated Djokovic.

Having conquered 24 Grand Slam titles and almost all the circuit tournaments, Djokovic assured that with this triumph, his career "is complete," but he expressed that he still has the desire to compete.

"I've achieved all my goals, but I love this sport. I don't play just to win; I play because I enjoy competing, training, and improving my level. This sport has given me everything, and I want to give back through my dedication," said the Serbian, who mentioned that he trains "as much as a young player just starting out."

Djokovic emphasized that the Olympic gold had been elusive for him and achieving it "has been the most difficult obstacle" he had "been dreaming of for years."

The Serbian noted that competing for his country is "the greatest thing an athlete can do" and that "carrying the Serbian flag motivates more than anything else," while revealing that at the end of the tournament, he gave "thanks to God" for granting him success.

"When I was the flag bearer for Serbia in London, I thought it was the best feeling I could achieve. This surpasses that," he asserted.

He insisted that this achievement comes "in a very peculiar year" in which he hasn't won any other tournaments, but he ensured that the Olympics "were the priority" because "it was the last opportunity to get it." "I arranged everything to be at my best level during these weeks. The injury at Roland Garros disrupted things a bit, but I was able to return at Wimbledon and reach the final, where Alcaraz beat me fairly," he noted.

"But that tournament gave me confidence in my game and my physical condition, and I knew I would be a different player here. I think losing the Wimbledon final helped me today, it gave me confidence, and I told myself it was impossible to do worse than there," he added.

Djokovic praised Alcaraz: "He's in Olympic form... He's a great competitor. When he lost the first set, he didn't give up, which shows his fighting spirit. He found his best level at key moments. When I saw that my forehand surpassed him in the final shot, I felt something I had never felt before."