In the race to win the Olympic medal, Novak Djokovic threw one racquet and smashed another. But got defeated by Spain’s Pablo Carreno Busta.
The Serb, whose gold bid was ended by Alexander Zverev on Friday, lost 6-4 6-7 (6-8) 6-3 in the bronze-medal match.
Then, Djokovic withdrew from his mixed doubles bronze-medal match with an injury. And hence, left Tokyo empty-handed.
Just last year he played against Carreno Busta when he was defaulted for hitting a line judge with a ball.
When the Spanish player sealed victory on his sixth match point, he fell to the court in delight.
On Sunday, Alexander Zverev will go against Russian Karen Khachanov for singles gold.
Women’s single final on the other hand will take place on Saturday where Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic would be facing Czech Marketa Vondrousova.
Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina beats Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina 1-6 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 and seized the bronze medal.
Angry Djokovic loses cool
Djokovic participated in the games because he wished to be the first man to win a ‘Golden Slam’ – Olympic gold plus all four Grand Slams.
He had already won the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon this year. And still, he will have the chance to complete a rare calendar Grand Slam at the US Open, which starts at the end of August.
And Olympics was the best opportunity for him to seize the title as his biggest rivals Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer were not playing.
Now, this opportunity would not come until 2024, when he will be 37.
Djokovic saved a match point against Carreno Busta in the second set to force a decider but his frustrations boiled over early in the third when he failed to break, throwing one racquet into the empty stands and smashing another against the net post as the Spaniard held his nerve for victory.
Djokovic would have had another opportunity for a medal later in the day but he withdrew from his mixed doubles bronze-medal match with a shoulder injury.
He and Nina Stojanovic had been due to face Australians John Peers and Ashleigh Barty.
