“When I take everything into consideration,” Djokovic said afterward, “this is probably the biggest sporting success I’ve had in my career.”

Two months ago, Djokovic withdrew from the French Open before the quarterfinals because of his knee injury. He seemed unlikely to even play in Wimbledon right up until the tournament started. He made it to the final, where, he said Sunday: “I was dominated in the final by Alcaraz, who was a far better player.”

Many players, maybe even most players, would have skipped the Olympics to rest and prepare for the U.S. Open. (Some players did skip this, anyway.) But Djokovic said, “I did everything I possibly could to prepare myself … to raise form when it needs to be raised.

Djokovic arrived here having won 10 Australian Opens, seven Wimbledons, four U.S. Opens and three French Opens. He was the most accomplished male player in history. The only person in the world who thought his career was missing anything was him.

Djokovic had never won an Olympic gold medal. He won bronze in Beijing in 2008. He lost in the semifinals in London and Tokyo. He wanted gold desperately, and one reason this match was such great theater is that it was almost certainly his last chance. The other reason was Alcaraz.

Alcaraz is 20 grand slam titles away from catching Djokovic. It is absurd to even discuss the possibility, but it is also irresistible, because Alcaraz is a rare talent. At 21, he has already won four slams, and he has won on all three surfaces.

Both men said afterward that the pressure of the Olympics was even greater than what they feel at Grand Slams. Djokovic said, “The fact I lost as easy as I did in the finals at Wimbledon probably worked in my favor because I knew that I couldn’t do worse than that.” With the first set in Paris tied 4–4, Djokovic fended off five break points. In both tiebreakers, Djokovic was the superior player. Alcaraz acknowledged that afterward:  “I felt the pressure in those situations, that I couldn’t play my best tennis.”

When the match ended, Djokovic seemed as stunned as he was happy—he ended up prone on the ground, face down, his right hand shaking against the clay.  When he got up, he found a towel, sat in his chair and covered his sobbing face.

“I thought that 2012 opening ceremony, carrying the flag for my country, was the best feeling that an athlete could have,” the best male tennis player in history said Sunday. “This supersedes everything that I imagined, and everything I hoped I could experience and feel.”