"Playing Carlos Alcaraz is biggest challenge" - Novak Djokovic shares fitness update as he delights in ending 20-year wait to reach 1st Olympic final

Novak Djokovic has shared an update on his physical fitness ahead of his maiden Olympic final as he gears up to make a final push for the elusive gold medal in Paris. The Serb will square off against Carlos Alcaraz in a rematch of the 2024 Wimbledon Championships final, where the Spaniard claimed a commanding 6-2, 6-2, 7-6(4) victory.

Alcaraz dominated his semifinal clash with Felix Auger-Aliassime, beating the Canadian 6-1, 6-1 to book his place in the Olympic final on his debut at the prestigious sporting event. Djokovic then set up a highly anticipated showdown for the gold medal against the Spaniard with a commanding win over Lorenzo Musetti.

Although the 24-time Grand Slam champion had expressed worries about his knee injury resurfacing ahead of the semifinal clash, the 37-year-old produced a clinical performance to secure a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Musetti.

"I am very worried, to be honest. I don’t know what to say. The pain was very strong for two games after it happened. I don’t know if I slipped or what happened," he said after his quarterfinal win.

During his on-court interview, Novak Djokovic delighted in ending his 20-year wait to advance past the semifinals at the Olympics, admitting that his past losses had been weighing on his mind during the clash.

"I have been waiting for this for almost 20 years. I’ve played four Olympic games, this is my fifth and I’ve never passed semi-finals. I lost three semi-finals in my first four Olympic games. I managed to overcome this big hurdle. I must be honest and say that I was thinking about all the semi-finals that I lost," he said.

Looking ahead to the final, the World No. 2 conceded that Carlos Alcaraz represents the "biggest challenge" he could face in the gold medal match. Nevertheless, the Serb shared a positive update about his fitness, disclosing that he feels better physically than he did in his loss to the Spaniard at Wimbledon.

"Playing Carlos Alcaraz on Sunday in the final is the biggest challenge I can have right now," he added. "I feel better than I did at Wimbledon, and am moving better."

Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz will both target unique feats in battle for Olympic gold in Paris

Carlos Alcaraz defeated Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon 2024 final (Source: Getty)

Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz's clash in the 2024 Paris Olympics final will mark their seventh meeting on tour. Alcaraz leveled their head-to-head record at 3-3 with his triumph over the Serb in the Wimbledon 2024 final.

However, Djokovic emerged victorious in their sole previous encounter at Roland Garros, beating the Spaniard 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1 in the 2023 French Open semifinals.

Both Alcaraz and the 24-time Grand Slam champion are attempting to achieve unique feats by clinching the gold medal in Paris. If the 21-year-old triumphs in the final, he will become only the third player, after Steffi Graf and Rafael Nadal, to win the French Open, Wimbledon and Olympic singles gold in the same year.

"I would love to have my name alongside those of Steffi and Rafa, two legends of tennis and sport in general," Alcaraz said after his semifinal win.

Djokovic, meanwhile, will complete the coveted career Golden Slam if beats Alcaraz, joining the elite ranks of Graf, Andre Agassi, Nadal and Serena Williams.