Djokovic and the Olympic gold medal obsession

Djokovic is the greatest male tennis player of all time, based on titles and records. However, the Serb lacks an Olympic gold medal – the missing jewel in the crown, a glory that rivals Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray and Roger Federer have all won.

The 2024 Paris Olympics will be Djokovic's fifth time participating in the world's biggest sporting event. His Olympic journey has spanned 16 years, since Beijing 2008. In his debut, Djokovic played well, advancing straight to the semi-finals with only one set lost. But he was then stopped by Rafael Nadal with a score of 4-6, 6-1, 4-6 after a smash miss. Nole won the bronze medal in this tournament when he defeated James Blake in the final match with a score of 6-3, 7-6(4).

In Beijing, Djokovic also participated in the men's doubles event with his close senior Nenad Zimonjic but lost in the opening match. Zimonjic is currently a member of Nole's coaching staff, replacing coach Goran Ivanisevic.

In 2012, Djokovic arrived in London as the world number two but was the favourite to win the title, having just won the Australian Open and reached the final of Roland Garros. He went on to reach the semi-finals after overcoming three big names in Fabio Fognini, Lleyton Hewitt and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. On the grass of Wimbledon, Djokovic faced home hope Andy Murray in the semi-finals and lost in two sets, 5-7. Murray then won the title by beating Roger Federer in the final, while Djokovic lost the bronze medal match to Juan Martin del Potro.

At this tournament, Djokovic played doubles with Viktor Troicki and was seeded eighth, but lost early in the first round.

Djokovic arrived at the 2016 Rio Olympics as the favourite to win the title on his favourite hard court. But once again Juan Martin del Potro brought the Serbian down. Returning from injury, the Argentine played devastating tennis to win two straight tie-breaks. Djokovic left the court after a tough battle in tears. No one expected the number one seed to go home after his first match.

Djokovic then played men's doubles with Zimonjic. They reached the second round but lost to third-seeded Marcelo Melo and Bruno Soares. Nole's dream of winning a gold medal in singles or doubles continued to be unfinished.

The Tokyo Olympics in the summer of 2021 are considered Djokovic's best chance to quench his thirst for Olympic gold. The Covid-19 pandemic, along with injuries and other problems, have prevented many names from competing in Tokyo. Djokovic advanced to the semi-finals quite easily, and was considered a complete favorite over Alexander Zverev. The Serbian played impressively in the first set when he beat his junior 6-1 in the first set and led 3-1 in the second set. But Nole then suddenly lost his rhythm, losing consecutively 3-6, 1-6 and continuing to miss the final.

Djokovic also lost the mixed doubles semi-final, then suffered another surprise defeat to Pablo Carreno Busta in the men's singles bronze medal match. Following this disappointment, the Serbian number one withdrew from the mixed doubles bronze medal match, leaving his partner Nina Stojanovic with no chance of a medal.

Djokovic's 16-year journey to compete at the Olympics continues in Paris this summer. He is still dreaming of reaching the men's singles final for the first time, despite his physical strength and form declining compared to previous tournaments.

Djokovic, 37, has just had knee surgery and still reached the Wimbledon final. However, his journey to Wimbledon this year was not without luck. Nole did not play any top 10 opponents in the world, before losing to Carlos Alcaraz in the final. He has had an eight-month title drought, since the 2023 ATP Finals.

Djokovic will skip the doubles, focusing on singles in Paris next week. But the best opponents are all at Roland Garros and will pose a formidable challenge for the 24-time Grand Slam winner. Jannik Sinner, Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev and his nemesis Alexander Zverev are all present. Other formidable names in the world top 10 include Alex de Minaur, Casper Ruud, Taylor Fritz and Stefanos Tsitsipas.

The Olympic three-set format is seen as another obstacle for Djokovic as he has less opportunity to make amends than in Grand Slam matches. Nole's former coach Boris Becker believes his old player will put all his effort into the Olympics. He said: "Djokovic is frustrated because he has lost a lot. But from the beginning of the season, I thought he would put all his effort into the Olympics. Maybe the best version of Djokovic will be shown in Paris."

Djokovic will be 41 by the time the 2028 Olympics roll around in Los Angeles, and it’s doubtful he’ll be fit to compete. So all eyes will be on him in Paris next week, in his fifth and likely final appearance. The gold medal is there, but it’s going to be much harder for Djokovic to win than it has been in previous Olympics.