After his loss in the Wimbledon final against Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic found it remarkably easy to cope with the beating he just took on Centre Court.

As the chance to make more history slipped away and Alcaraz demonstrated his superiority in a one-sided final, Djokovic calmed himself by reminding himself that a bigger goal would soon be achieved. If there was one tennis match earlier this year that Djokovic could have won, it would not have been the Wimbledon final.

Just 21 days later, an inspired Djokovic took revenge and ended his long quest for his first Olympic gold medal by defeating Alcaraz 7-6 (3), 7-6 (2) in a final of all time at Roland Garros.

At 37 years old and in his fifth Olympic Games, Djokovic claimed the only title that had eluded him to that point and attempted to complete the Golden Slam of his career. Two months after tearing the meniscus in his right knee and having to undergo surgery to put his participation in the Games in doubt, Djokovic returned to the same court at Philippe-Chatrier and recorded one of the greatest victories of his career against his young rival, winning a gold medal for Serbia, which he described as his “greatest sporting achievement” even ahead of his record 24 Grand Slam titles.

In doing so, he managed to stifle Alcaraz when the Spaniard looked a class above Djokovic at this stage of his career. Djokovic drew on his reserves to first fend off and then outlast Alcaraz in a mammoth 93-minute opening set, withstanding Alcaraz’s athletic power and striking technique in an epic final stand that offered a classic glimpse of his greatest qualities as a tennis player. Djokovic held on, remained solid in all aspects of his game and delivered in the decisive moments to claim a historic victory in one of the most memorable Olympic finals of all time.

And with 10 Australian Opens, three French Opens, seven Wimbledons, four US Opens, seven ATP Finals, 40 ATP 1000 titles and the Davis Cup, Djokovic now has the Olympic gold to tick off the final missing goal in his illustrious career. As only the fifth player to achieve the Career Golden Slam in singles, he joins Rafael Nadal, Andre Agassi, Serena Williams and Steffi Graf in reaching another important milestone.

Djokovic had to be at his best to beat Alcaraz with history at stake, but he reached a level he hadn’t reached for most of the season. Incredibly, the Serb also ended an eight-month title drought at his most important event of the year.

“I’m absolutely thrilled that I managed to do it here in this way, against a man who is the best in the world at the moment. I’m just overjoyed,” said Djokovic.

“Everything I felt in the moment I won was truly beyond anything I thought or hoped for. I thought carrying the flag at the opening ceremony (in 2012) was the best feeling ever until I experienced this today.

“And to stand on this pitch, to raise the Serbian flag, to sing the Serbian national anthem and to wear the gold around my neck – in my opinion, nothing can beat that in professional sport. That is definitely my greatest sporting achievement.”

A monumental final brought the wildest of emotions: There weren’t many new feelings in the sport for Djokovic, but winning gold for his country was one of them. First there was the shock, as he dropped his racquet and turned to his box, eyes wide. Then came the tears, as he fell to the sand and looked up at the sky, shaking and sobbing. At the other end of the court, Alcaraz was unable to speak as he was interviewed on television, turning away to hide his face. He will get many more chances. Djokovic, who will be 41 when the next Olympics in Los Angeles, knew this was it, adding another layer to a legendary performance that flipped the script.

Djokovic admitted he felt “inferior” to Alcaraz after his humiliating loss in the Wimbledon final three weeks ago. On a hot, windless afternoon at Roland Garros, the Olympic final was nothing like it. Playing at a much higher level in an opening set, Djokovic had a total of 13 break point chances, eight of which Djokovic himself fended off. He fended off five of them in a monumental ninth game of the set, keeping his opponent at bay even though any of them would have given Alcaraz a chance to serve for the set. While Alcaraz pressed for the advantage and produced a series of stunning recoveries, Djokovic was left laughing in disbelief at what it took to win just one point.

But Djokovic survived and reached the tiebreak, waiting for his moment to strike. After the first six points were shared, Djokovic grabbed a slower second serve from Alcaraz and hit a forehand winner. Alcaraz lost his composure momentarily and two consecutive mishits from the baseline gave Djokovic a set point. When Djokovic sent Alcaraz wide to his right, the Spaniard set up the sensational forehand crosscourt winner on the run. But when he looked up, Djokovic was already there, lunging to his right to land a smooth drop volley. Djokovic stayed in the same position with his arm raised as he pushed forward.

An hour later, they were in the same position heading into the second tiebreak. Alcaraz had managed to stay in the match by surviving difficult moments on serve but failing to gain momentum. Alcaraz’s stay in the match could have been a bad sign, however. Since winning the French Open two months ago, the Spaniard has managed to fight from behind time and again. Instead, Djokovic took the tiebreak to a new level – an epic final that came to a magnificent conclusion.

Seven points away from victory and knowing how difficult it was to beat Alcaraz, Djokovic used the Spaniard’s tricks against him. At the crucial moment of the second tiebreak, Djokovic somehow reached a vicious backhand from Alcaraz that went so far to the left that he almost disappeared from the scene. As he laid on a lob that landed inside the baseline, Alcaraz blinked and his forehand slid into the net.

It broke Alcaraz and lifted Djokovic up. From there, he produced three of the cleanest forehands he will ever hit, putting all his weight into a crosscourt winner that flew brutally past Alcaraz. After falling behind, Alcaraz made two bad errors that gave Djokovic match point. Sensing his chance, he didn’t let himself be held back and secured that final piece of tennis history with another forehand winner, this time down the line.