“You just couldn’t speak to him for the first couple of days,” Former coach Boris Becker dives into Novak Djokovic’s Olympic heartbreak

Novak Djokovic will hope for his first Olympic Gold medal in Paris next month.

“You just couldn’t speak to him for the first couple of days,” Former coach Boris Becker dives into Novak Djokovic’s Olympic heartbreak

Boris Becker throws light on Novak Djokovic's defeat to Juan Martin del Potro at 2016 Rio Olympics (Via Imago)

German tennis icon Boris Becker has revealed the heartbreaking story of Novak Djokovic at the 2016 Olympic Games. The Serbian came into the Rio Games as the World No.1 and the favorite to win the elusive gold.

However, he lost in the first round to Juan Martin del Potro. Becker, Djokovic’s coach at that time, claimed that loss to be one of the biggest disappointments of the Serbian’s career.

YouTube video
He (Djokovic) is a proper icon in Serbia and so naturally for him, he wants to represent Serbia on a world stage. There is no better place to do that than at the Olympics. I was fortunate to be the head coach of the Serbian team at 2016 in Rio. I worked with all the Serbian players; I stayed in the village with the Serbians and by then; he was already a superstar.
Boris Becker said at a Discovery+ and Eurosport event (H/T: Tennis365)

Del Potro won 7-6, 7-6, and went on to win the Olympic Silver medal, improving his results from the 2012 London Olympics, where he finished with the Bronze medal. However, it also marked Djokovic’s first loss in the opening round of any tournament since 2009.

FS Video
You can’t imagine the expectation and the power he has when he plays for Serbia. That event in 2016 allowed me to understand it. Then he lost to Del Potro in the first round and you just couldn’t speak to him for the first couple of days, as he was heartbroken. It was one of the biggest disappointments in his career, but there you go. He has so many great victories in his career, but you could see the disappointment.
Boris Becker added

Djokovic remained medal-less in the following Olympic Games in Tokyo, which got postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Belgrade native lost in the semifinal match to Alexander Zverev and the Bronze medal match to Pablo Carreno Busta.

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Novak Djokovic via Imago

Novak Djokovic has the Olympic Gold in his sights for Paris Games

About six weeks ago, in early June, Novak Djokovic withdrew from Roland-Garros before his quarter-final match. He announced he had a torn meniscus in his knee, which worried his fans.

Novak Djokovic Olympics
Novak Djokovic (via Imago)

Despite concerns, Djokovic decided to have surgery right away. He wanted to get ready for the summer events. His goal was to play in Wimbledon and the Olympic Games in Paris 2024.

At Wimbledon, Djokovic showed his strong focus and determination. He won five matches, losing only two sets. In the final, he faced Carlos Alcaraz for the second year in a row but lost to the young Spaniard.

Now, Djokovic wants to put the Wimbledon disappointment behind him as his next big goal is the Olympics. The Serbian has only won an Olympic singles bronze medal for his country, which came in 2008.

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