At 37, Djokovic has the chance to become the oldest Olympic tennis leader since the sport returned to the Olympics in Seoul 1988. The Serbian has already won a bronze medal in Beijing 2008, but a victory in Paris would allow him to complete the Golden Slam, a feat achieved by very few players in history, such as Andre Agassi and Rafael Nadal. The challenge for Alcaraz is to claim the title as the youngest player ever, at 21 years old.

Djokovic arrives at the final with the recent memory of the defeat he suffered against Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final. The Belgrade player believes his opponent is more likely to emerge victorious, especially given the impressive performance Alcaraz has displayed in recent Grand Slams. "I don’t consider myself the favourite because Alcaraz has proven to be the best player in the world. He won Roland Garros, he won Wimbledon, and he beat me in the final quite comfortably,” he admitted.

Despite the physical and emotional challenges, Djokovic faces the match with optimism. “I feel like a different player compared to Wimbledon. In terms of how I move and hit the ball, I feel like I’m in better shape now,” commented the current world number one, who admitted to being “very motivated” to win his first gold medal. He demonstrated this attitude in the semi-finals against Lorenzo Musetti, a match where his fighting spirit earned him a warning for inappropriate language.

On the other side of the court will be Alcaraz, who has not dropped a set throughout the tournament and has accumulated 38 wins and only six losses this season. The young Murcian, who has been visualising Olympic victory for some time, remains eager to “make Spaniards proud.” “I want to add my name to the list of legends like Steffi Graf and Rafael Nadal,” said Alcaraz, referring to the feat both players achieved: winning Roland Garros, Wimbledon, and the Olympic Games in the same year.

The head-to-head record between the finalists of these Olympics is tied with three victories each. In their last encounter, Alcaraz triumphed at Wimbledon, solidifying his dominance on the London grass. Previously, they faced off in the semi-finals of Roland Garros in 2023, where Djokovic emerged victorious with set scores of 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, and 6-1, demonstrating his mastery on the Parisian clay.

The final promises to be a showdown between experience and youth, with Djokovic aiming to cap his career with a golden finish and Alcaraz seeking to establish himself as a new tennis legend. This Sunday’s battle will not only test skill but also mental fortitude.