Novak Djokovic humbles Lorenzo Musetti, reaches 2024 Paris Olympics final
What's the story
Novak Djokovic has entered the final of the 2024 Paris Olympics in men's singles tennis. The Serbian ace defeated Italy's Lorenzo Musetti 6-4, 6-2. The win sees Djokovic reach his maiden Olympic final in what is his fifth attempt. He was a three-time semi-finalist before this in addition to losing in the first round once. Djokovic will face Carlos Alcaraz in the final.
Twitter Post
Twitter Post
Master Nole! 🇷🇸
— ITF (@ITFTennis) August 2, 2024
Novak Djokovic is into his FIRST Olympic final and becomes the oldest singles player since 1988 to do so! #Paris2024 | #Olympics | #tennis pic.twitter.com/1XUEFS4FtH
Wins
Djokovic claims his 5th successive win at Paris Olympics
Djokovic's Paris Games campaign at Roland Garros was off to a brilliant start as he claimed a 6-0, 6-1 victory against Australian Matthew Ebden. Djokovic then beat Rafael Nadal to reach the third round. He secured a 6-1, 6-4 win. Next up, he defeated Germany's Dominik Koepfer before overcoming Stefanos Tsitsipas in the semis (6-3, 7-6). And now, he took down Musetti.
Numbers
Djokovic at Roland Garros as he vies for gold medal
Djokovic owns a 96-16 win-loss record at Roland Garros (French Open). He has already bagged three French Open honors. He holds the record for the most Grand Slams won in men's singles (24). Djokovic, who lost the 2024 Wimbledon final, is vying for his maiden Olympic gold. Notably, Djokovic's first and only medal (bronze) came in 2008, Beijing.
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101st win at Roland Garros
As mentioned above, Djokovic has won 96 matches at the French Open. With five wins in the ongoing Olympic event in Paris, he has raced to 101 wins at Roland Garros.
Details
7-1 win-loss record over Musetti
Djokovic, who has bagged 98 ATP honors to date, owns a 28-7 win-loss record this season on the ATP Tour. He is yet to win a title. He has raced to a 7-1 win-loss record over Musetti in eight meetings. Notably, he has won four successive matches against Musetti in 2024. He beat the Italian at ATP Masters 1000 Monte-Carlo, French Open and Wimbledon.
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Djokovic takes on Alcaraz in the final
Djokovic will renew his rivalry against Alcaraz in the final for the gold medal. Notably, Alcaraz beat Djokovic in the 2023 and 2024 finals at Wimbledon. Their H2H tally reads 3-3.
Records
Djokovic makes these records
As per Opta, Djokovic is the 3rd player to reach the Olympic final in singles after having turned 30 since tennis returned to the Summer Olympic program in 1988 after Roger Federer (London 2012) and Serena Williams (London 2012). He is the oldest singles player to reach the final at the Olympics in tennis since 1988.
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Here are the match stats
Djokovic doled out three aces compared to Musetti's none. The former committed one double fault with Musetti committing two. Djokovic converted 5/13 break points and clocked nine winners. He made 23 unforced errors to Musetti's 27.
Musetti
Musetti will vie for the bronze medal
All is not lost for Musetti, who will fight for the bronze medal. He will be taking on Canada's Felix Auger-Aliassime. Notably, Felix Auger-Aliassime lost to Alcaraz in a one-sided semi-final affair earlier on Friday. In terms of their H2H meetings, Musetti trails 2-3 against Auger-Aliassime. They met thrice in 2022.