"I was very lucky to have my wife & my kids there": Novak Djokovic on sharing 'most intense emotions' of Paris Olympics gold medal win with his family

Novak Djokovic recently talked about the emotions he experienced with his wife, Jelena, and children - son Stefan and daughter Tara after winning the gold medal win at the 2024 Paris Olympics. This was the Serb's second Olympic medal, with his first being a bronze which he won at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Djokovic was the top seed at the quadrennial event this year. He defeated the likes of Matthew Ebden, Rafael Nadal, and Dominik Koepfer in the first three rounds. He then went on to triumph over Stefanos Tsitsipas and Lorenzo Musetti in the quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively, to secure his spot in the final. At the championship match, Djokovic defeated Carlos Alcaraz with a score of 7-6(3), 7-6(2) to claim the gold medal.

During a press conference, Novak Djokovic recalled the feeling he went through after his gold medal win. He admitted that he had not watched the final match against Alcaraz in its entirety but did catch some highlights, particularly focusing on the heartwarming moments he shared with his family post-win.

"I have not watched the full replay of my match in the Olympics finals, but I did watch highlights quite a few times, actually. Yeah, I watched that, I watched the celebrations after with my family," he said.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion shared that he revisited the celebrations that followed his victory at the Champions Park in Trocadero Gardens, Paris, and in his country, Serbia.

"I watched the celebrations the day after. I think it was, plus, and I think it was in Trocadéro, where they made the path of a champion, or whatever they call it, a celebration of all the Olympic winners. And then the next day or a few days, Serbia, you know how we welcome in our country all the Olympic medalists," he added.

The Serb expressed that he was lucky to have his wife, Jelena, and his children, Stefan and Tara by his side during the "most intense emotions" he felt in his career.

"It was just something unique, remarkable, unforgettable, something I'll carry in my heart and my memories for the rest of my life . I was very lucky also to have my wife and my kids there, you know, to experience it live, because it is the highlight of my career. You know, most intense emotions I every felt on the court were after winning a gold medal," he said.

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Novak Djokovic reaches the third round at Shanghai Masters 2024

Novak Djokovic pictured at an exhibition match [Source: Getty]

Novak Djokovic is currently competing at the 2024 Shanghai Masters. He made a return to the ATP Masters 1000 hard court event after a five-year hiatus with his last appearance at the tournament being the quarterfinals match he played against Stefanos Tsitsipas in 2019.

The Serb is seeded fourth in Shanghai and he kicked off his campaign in the second round following a first-round bye. In his opening match, He defeated Alex Michelsen 7-6(3), 7-6(9) in his opening match to begin his campaign.

In the aforementioned press conference, the former World No.1 expressed his gratitude for the overwhelming support he has received since arriving in Shanghai. He credited the love and encouragement he receives in China as the driving force behind his decision to return to the tournament after a five-year absence:

"All these days since I arrived to China and Shanghai, plenty of love and support. To experience the introduction and the support and love from Chinese fans in this way is exactly the reason why I came. I really missed being in Shanghai, I missed China," he said.

Looking ahead, Novak Djokovic will face either wild card Stan Wawrinka or 28th seed Flavio Cobolli in the third round of the 2024 Shanghai Masters.