PARIS (LifeSiteNews) — Novak Djokovic proclaimed “God is great” after winning the Olympic gold medal for the first time.
On Sunday, Djokovic won the Olympic men’s singles final in Paris over Carlos Alcaraz in two sets (7-6, 7-6), completing the so-called “Golden Slam,” i.e., winning all four major Grand Slam tournaments and an Olympic gold medal.
“I was so blessed to win everything pretty much there is to win in my sport, but this is something different,” Djokovic said in an interview after the exhausting match that lasted for almost three hours. “This supersedes everything that I’ve ever felt on the tennis court after winning big trophies. It’s just incredible joy.”
Djokovic was filmed standing center court after receiving his gold medal, pointing to the heavens and proclaiming “God is great” three times in Serbian. He repeated the phrase in a post-match interview with Asian News outlet ANI.
In an interview during the Olympics a few days before the finals, Djokovic kissed the Cross on his necklace that he wears during games, publicly displaying his Christian faith during the Olympics in Paris, which sparked outrage for its blasphemous opening ceremony.
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Djokovic, a member of the Serbian Orthodox Church, has been vocal about his faith for years. In April 2011, he famously said, “This is the most important title of my life, because before being an athlete, I am an Orthodox Christian,” upon receiving the Order of St. Sava in the first degree from the Patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church.
During the COVID crisis, he was engulfed in controversy and faced attacks by mainstream media and politicians for refusing to take the experimental and deadly COVID shots.
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Djokovic missed the Australian Open in 2022 and was forced to leave the country following a public dispute with Australian authorities over his visa and COVID shot status. The Serbian tennis star vindicated himself when he again won the Australian Open a year later in 2023, a feat that he accomplished a record 10 times in his career.
Djokovic had to overcome adversity again before his Olympic victory as he was dealing with a knee injury he sustained during the French Open in June. The Serbian, considered by many to be the greatest tennis player of all time, had not won a title in 2024 prior to his triumph in the Olympics. At age 37, he became the oldest player ever to win an Olympic singles gold medal.
“When I take everything in consideration, this probably is the biggest sporting success I’ve ever had in my career,” he said after his victory in Paris.
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