Nothing to do for Jannik Sinner, this battle was not won by the Italian. A defeat that stings, what a blow.
Novak Djokovic won anything. In fact, there is only one prize that still does not appear in his very rich palmares: the gold medal. He will try to win it in a few minutes on the red clay court in Paris, where the tennis Olympics have now come to a close.
Although ailing and – theoretically – not as fit as he has been in the past, Nole was great, across the Alps. He has tarred his opponents, one after another, with the nonchalance that has always belonged to him, as if winning were the easiest thing in the world. Despite this, it is by no means a foregone conclusion that he will take the treasure he has long coveted with him in his suitcase when he returns. For in the finals, at the Paris Games, he will face a far from manageable opponent.
The former world No. 1 will have to contend with Carlos Alcaraz, who unlike him is in fine form and has just given himself 2 consecutive Slams. He won Roland Garros a few weeks ago and is particularly comfortable on the clay court on which he secured the third Major of his career. And he too, like Nole, has a great desire to bring home the coveted gold, reasoning that he will leave nothing to his Serbian rival. Not even crumbs.
Nothing to do for Sinner: Djokovic awards Alcaraz
Djokovic knows how difficult it will be to counter the Spaniard, and he said so explicitly, Friday night, when asked for his hot take on the final he would later play on Sunday.
“I don’t consider myself the favorite on Sunday,” these are the words of the multiple Slam champion, “because Alcaraz has proven to be the best player in the world right now. He won Roland Garros, he won Wimbledon where he beat me in the final quite clearly. He reached the final here in Paris without losing a set. I mean, I did too, but I think the way he’s playing, he’s definitely the favorite.”
A slap in the face for Jannik Sinner, who being at the top of the Atp ranking should be the best, but not for Nole, who is absolutely convinced that no one is better than Carlos right now. An unappealable sentence that leaves a bitter taste in the mouth but that who knows, the Italian might reverse as soon as he finally gets a chance to kick off the season on concrete.
