Let's get right into it, there was never going to be a way that the gold medal match on the Men's side wasn't going to be Carlos vs. Novak. Don't get me wrong, Carlos was nothing short of spectacular, however, it wasn't enough against the undisputed GOAT of Tennis.
5 Takeaways from Novak's Golden Run
- Mental Fortitude
Even though Carlos was favoured to win, Novak had all the pressure in the world sitting on his shoulders. Novak never let the moment take control of his game. Look no further than the second set tiebreaker. Novak played it perfectly, and kept his foot on the gas the whole way through.
- This meant More to Novak Than People Realized.
In a decorated career, there was one major missing piece of the puzzle, Olympic Gold. He has been vocal about it and seeing how Novak played and reacted to the win, should tell you everything you need to know. The last two years, all Novak has heard has been about how great Carlos is. And while it is undeniably true, you can't help but imagine that it began to bother the Serb. When Novak reflects on his career, this will be on the Mount Rushmore of his biggest wins.
- Tactics > Youth
It is hard not to keep coming back to the second set breaker. While Carlos had a few unforced errors, Novak played smart, aggressive and tactically sound tennis. He took big rips at big targets. At the game gets younger and faster, Novak will continue to rely on his shot selection in the biggest moments of matches. This was the deciding factor between gold and silver; shot selection.
- A Motivated Novak is a Dangerous Novak
With a few unconventional losses in grand slams lately, it felt like Novak was back to being his usual, motivated self. This gold medal match felt much more like a slam final than his Sinner match or even his Carlos match at the French Open a few months ago. When Novak is dialed in, he is still very much the guy to beat.
- The End is Nowhere Near
Hold my beer - probably Novak. At 37 years of age, Novak has no interest in slowing down. Yes, it will be hard for him to take lower-level tournaments as serious as he used to but Novak has earned every right to mail in the 500 & 1000 level tournaments. At this point, Novak wants the big titles and I'm not sure we can really blame him. He has accomplished everything he set out to accomplish and he's done it his way, whether you like it or not.
Conclusion
Everyone feels strongly about Novak, tons of love and a bunch of hate. There are two things to note though; 1) you can't deny his greatness and 2) he doesn't give a rats *** what you might think of him.
