Olympics tennis: Novak Djokovic vs. Carlos Alcaraz for gold

Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz will play for the men’s singles gold at the 2024 Olympics

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Novak Djokovic of Serbia celebrates after defeating Lorenzo Musetti of Italy in their men’s singles semifinals tennis match, at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

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Carlos Alcaraz of Spain reacts after scoring a point against Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada during their men’s singles semifinals tennis match, at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

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Novak Djokovic of Serbia reacts during a break as he plays against Lorenzo Musetti of Italy during their men’s singles semifinals tennis match, at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

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Carlos Alcaraz of Spain celebrates after defeating Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada in their men’s singles semifinals tennis match, at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

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Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada wipes his sweat as he plays against Carlos Alcaraz of Spain during their men’s singles semifinals tennis match, at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

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Iga Swiatek of Poland cheers the spectators after defeating Anna Karolina Schmiedlova of Slovakia in their women’s bronze medal match, at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

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Carlos Alcaraz of Spain returns a shot to Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada during their men’s singles semifinals tennis match, at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

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Carlos Alcaraz of Spain plays against Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada during their men’s singles semifinals tennis match, at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

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Carlos Alcaraz of Spain serves against Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada during their men’s singles semifinals tennis match, at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

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Sara Errani, left, and Jasmine Paolini of Italy compete against Linda Noskova and Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic during women’s doubles semifinals tennis match at the Roland Garros stadium, at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

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Matthew Ebden and John Peers of Australia compete against Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul of the United States during men’s Doubles semifinals tennis match at the Roland Garros stadium, at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

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Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul of the United States celebrate a point during their match against Matthew Ebden and John Peers of Australia during men’s Doubles semifinals tennis match at the Roland Garros stadium, at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

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Linda Noskova and Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic compete against Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini of Italy during women’s doubles semifinals tennis match at the Roland Garros stadium, at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

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Anna Karolina Schmiedlova of Slovakia returns a shot to Iga Swiatek of Poland during their women’s bronze medal match, at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

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Gabriela Dabrowski and Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada compete against Netherlands’ Demi Schuurs and Wesley Koolhof during mixed doubles bronze medal tennis match at the Roland Garros stadium, at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

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Mirra Andreeva and Diana Shnaider of Individual Neutral Athlete celebrate their victory over Cristina Bucsa and Sara Sorribes Tormo of Spain during women’s doubles semifinals tennis match at the Roland Garros stadium, at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

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Novak Djokovic of Serbia argues with the referee during his match against Lorenzo Musetti of Italy in their men’s singles semifinals tennis match, at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

By HOWARD FENDRICH

PARIS (AP) — When Novak Djokovic’s first berth in an Olympics tennis final was secured, when he was assured of a chance to win the gold medal that’s missing from his lengthy list of accomplishments, he fell back on the clay, limbs spread apart — the sort of pose generally reserved for securing a championship.

“This,” he said after beating Lorenzo Musetti of Italy 6-4, 6-2 by taking the last four games, “is a big deal.”

Already the owner of a men’s-record 24 Grand Slam titles and more weeks at No. 1 in the rankings than anyone in tennis history, Djokovic will try to add to his legacy when he faces Carlos Alcaraz on Sunday in the men’s singles title match.

Alcaraz was even more dominant in Friday’s semifinals, eliminating Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada 6-1, 6-1.

Djokovic is 37, which makes him the oldest man to play in a Summer Games tennis final. Alcaraz is 21, which makes him the youngest.

“The way he’s playing, he’s definitely a favorite,” said Djokovic, who came into Friday 0-3 in Olympics semifinals.

Djokovic’s best medal to date for Serbia was a bronze at the 2008 Beijing Games. Now he’ll do no worse than a silver.

“Just to secure a higher medal for the first time for my country, whatever happens on Sunday, is a huge, obviously pride and honor and happiness — and that’s why I celebrated the way I did,” he said. “I still need to celebrate, because it’s a big success, of course.”

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Was Musetti surprised to see the way Djokovic reacted?

“I know how much it means for ‘Nole’ to win a gold, to win a medal, of course,” Musetti replied, using Djokovic’s nickname. “So, no, absolutely not.”

The final will be a rematch of the past two Wimbledon finals, each won by Alcaraz, including three weeks ago.

“It’s always really difficult facing Novak in every round,” Alcaraz said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s the first round or final.”

The Spaniard has four Grand Slam titles, one of which came in June at the French Open, the clay-court tournament held at Roland Garros, the site Olympics tennis is being played this year.

Djokovic got injured during the French Open, tearing the meniscus in his right knee and having surgery on June 5. He felt what he described as “sharp pain” while getting past Stefanos Tsitsipas in the quarterfinals Thursday night, but he seemed fine — and said he was — against Musetti after a lot of work with his physiotherapist to prepare.

“It didn’t bother me at all” Friday, Djokovic said, “so I’m really glad there’s nothing serious about it.”

He acknowledged feeling nervy and seemed that way, bothered by things such as the wind or the footing or the chair umpire calling him twice for time violations and then warning him for an audible obscenity. Over and over, Djokovic gestured at his team up in the stands, muttering or even yelling.

But his tennis was on point, other than when he got broken to begin the second set. Still, he quickly regrouped.

“He deserved to win,” said Musetti who also lost to Djokovic at the French Open and Wimbledon in 2024.

Earlier, with dozens of spectators waving red-and-yellow Spanish flags at Court Philippe Chatrier or yelling “Vamos, Carlos!” on a cloudy afternoon — and a soundtrack provided during breaks in the action by a brass band in the stands — Alcaraz was superb against Auger-Aliassime.

He never faced a break point. He won the point on 10 of 11 trips to the net. He made just 13 unforced errors, 10 fewer than Auger-Aliassime, who also lost to Alcaraz at this year’s French Open.

“I just couldn’t find a way to be comfortable in any pattern, any position. Whether it was trying to dominate the forehand cross-court or change of direction, the forehand inside-out, the backhand side,” Auger-Aliassime said. “Every aspect. The movement. The defense. I was dominated.”

Later Friday, Auger-Aliassime went back on court and teamed with Gabriela Dabrowski to give Canada the bronze in mixed doubles with a 6-3, 7-6 (2) win over Demi Schuurs and Wesley Koolhof of the Netherlands. The Czech Republic’s Katerina Siniakova and Tomas Machac beat China’s Wang Xinyu and Zhang Zhizhen 6-2, 5-7 (8) for gold.

The women’s singles final is Saturday, with Zheng Qinwen of China playing against Donna Vekic of Croatia.

Iga Swiatek of Poland, who lost to Zheng in the semifinals, earned the bronze with a 6-2, 6-1 victory over Anna Karolina Schmiedlova of Slovakia on Friday. It’s Poland’s first tennis medal at any Olympics.

In the men’s doubles semifinals Friday, Matt Ebden and John Peers of Australia defeated Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul of the United States 7-5, 6-2. Ebden and Peers will go up against another American duo, fourth-seeded Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram, for the gold.

In women’s doubles, the final will be Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini of Italy against Mirra Andreeva and Diana Shnaider, a pair of Russians who are competing as Individual Neutral Athletes, known by the French acronym AIN.

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AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games

Olympic Hightlights

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FILE - South Africa’s Jacques Freitag competes in the men’s high jump of the 2004 Olympic Games, in the Olympic Stadium in Athens, Friday Aug. 20, 2004. Local media is reporting that South African police have discovered the body of former high jump world champion Jacques Freitag after he went missing last month. The reports said the 42-year-old, who won the 2003 world title in Paris and competed at the 2004 Olympics, had been shot. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File)

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FILE - Ilona Maher of USA is tackled by Sharni Williams of Australia in a semifinal of the Rugby World Cup 7’s championship held in Cape Town, South Africa, Sunday, Sept. 11, 2022. The main task for Maher, the breakout social media star on TikTok at the Tokyo Olympics, is winning a medal in Paris. (AP Photo/Halden Krog, File)

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FILE - Jacques Freitag of South Africa waves his national flag after he won the Men’s high jump event at the World Athletics Championships, at the Stade de France in Saint Denis, north of Paris, Monday, Aug. 25, 2003. Local media is reporting that South African police have discovered the body of former high jump world champion Jacques Freitag after he went missing last month. The reports said the 42-year-old, who won the 2003 world title in Paris and competed at the 2004 Olympics, had been shot. (AP Photo/Thomas Kienzle, File)

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Sammy Sullivan of USA in action during HSBC rugby sevens series in Singapore, on May 4, 2024. The anthem played as Army officer Sammy Sullivan stood to attention and saluted beside her U.S. rugby teammates before a gold-medal game in Hong Kong against Olympic champion New Zealand. No prizes for guessing where her mind may have drifted to: Paris in July. (AP Photo/Suhaimi Abdullah)

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USA Water Polo Women’s Senior National Team attacker Ryann Neushul, left, trains at Long Beach City College Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024, in Long Beach, Calif. Following in the footsteps of two older sisters who won gold with the U.S. women’s water polo team, Ryann Neushul is making her Olympic debut in Paris this summer. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

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Iranian wrestler Iman Mahdavi, 28, practices at the Lotta Club Seggiano gym, in Pioltello , northern Italy, Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

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FILE - Steven van de Velde of the Netherlands competes during the CEV Beach Volley Nations Cup Vienna 2022 men’s semifinal game against Austria at the Red Bull Beach Arena in Vienna, Austria, Sunday, Aug. 7, 2022. Van de Velde, convicted and imprisoned eight years ago for raping an underage girl in England has qualified for the Paris Olympics. (AP Photo/Florian Schroetter, File)