Boris Becker picks between Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz for Olympic singles Gold Medal favorites

Djokovic and Alcaraz are the top two seeds at the Paris Olympics following Jannik Sinner's withdrawal.

Boris Becker picks between Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz for Olympic singles Gold Medal favorites

Boris Becker (in circle) Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic (via Imago)

Tennis legend Boris Becker has shared his verdict on the favorites for the Paris Olympics men’s singles draw. Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz are the top two seeds in the men’s singles draw after the withdrawal of Jannik Sinner.

Becker has declared Djokovic as the top favorite. However, the German remains wary of Alcaraz’s threat to topple the Serb’s dream of an elusive Olympic gold medal.

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Before the tournament started, I put Novak Djokovic as the favorite. Now Jannik Sinner has defaulted, but Carlos Alcaraz is still very much in the draw. I think Novak has a good chance to at least medal. I would say Djokovic is the clear favorite.
Boris Becker told Eurosport

Djokovic is arguably playing in his last Olympics event. His best result at the event was a bronze medal in the 2008 edition, where he finished behind Rafael Nadal and Fernando Gonzalez. However, Djokovic has been denied any medals in his last three editions. Alcaraz is playing in his first Olympics event and is also competing in the men’s doubles alongside Nadal.

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Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic: The rivalry so far

Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic are developing an extremely competitive rivalry despite being on opposite sides of their careers. Djokovic is 37 and in the twilight of his career, whereas Alcaraz is 21 and has many more accomplishments to pursue.

Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz
Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz (Via Imago)

The dynamic tennis duo stands at 3-3 in their head-to-head. Their first match took place at the 2022 Madrid Open, where Alcaraz stunned the former World No. 1 in the semifinals en route to claiming his second Masters 1000 title.

In 2023, Djokovic and Alcaraz met four times, with the Serbian maintaining a 3-1 advantage. Djokovic secured wins at Roland Garros, Cincinnati, and the ATP World Tour Finals. However, Alcaraz stopped him in his bid to win his fifth consecutive Wimbledon title in July. Alcaraz managed to repeat his 2023 heroics in the 2024 Wimbledon final, dismantling the Serb in straight sets to land his fourth Grand Slam title. Alcaraz currently leads Djokovic 2-1 in Grand Slam matches.

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