Djokovic's Golden Slam dream comes to brutal end

There volition beryllium nary Golden Slam for Novak Djokovic.

The top-ranked Serb mislaid to Alexander Zverev of Germany 1-6, 3-6, 6-1 Friday successful the semifinals of the tennis tourney astatine the Tokyo Olympics.

OLYMPICS BLOG: LATEST UPDATES, NEWS | TOKYO GAMES EVENT CENTRE: SCHEDULE, RESULTS, MEDAL TALLY

Djokovic was attempting to go the archetypal antheral to triumph each 4 Grand Slam tournaments and Olympic golden successful the aforesaid year. He won the Australian Open, the French Open and Wimbledon this twelvemonth and needed the Olympic and U.S. Open titles to implicit the collection.

Steffi Graf successful 1988 remains the lone tennis subordinate to execute the Golden Slam.

Zverev's hostile successful the gold-medal lucifer volition beryllium Karen Khachanov. The Russian bushed Pablo Carreno Busta of Spain 6-3, 6-3.

Djokovic volition play Carreno Busta for bronze.

Djokovic's hadn't mislaid since getting beaten by Rafael Nadal astatine the Italian Open last 2½ months ago.

On a humid and muggy evening astatine the Ariake Tennis Park, Djokovic committed a bid of uncharacteristic errors aft a beardown commencement arsenic the 6-foot-6 (1.98-meter) Zverev started to triumph escaped points with his large serve.

TOKYO, JAPAN - JULY 30: Novak Djokovic of Team Serbia wipes distant sweat during his Men's Singles Semifinal lucifer against Alexander Zverev of Team Germany connected time 7 of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games astatine Ariake Tennis Park connected July 30, 2021 successful Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images) (Getty)

When Zverev deed a backhand victor down the enactment that Djokovic didn't determination for to adjacent it out, Djokovic walked to the nett wherever helium was embraced by Zverev. Djokovic responded by resting his caput connected Zverev's enarthrosis arsenic the brace exchanged immoderate words.

Djokovic's lone Olympic medal was bronze successful singles astatine the 2008 Beijing Games — his first. He could inactive triumph a golden astatine the Tokyo Games successful mixed doubles.

Djokovic was owed backmost connected the tribunal astir instantly to play with Serbian spouse Nina Stojanovic successful the mixed doubles semifinals against the Russian duo of Elena Vesnina and Aslan Karatsev.

MORE TO COME.

For a regular dose of the champion of the breaking quality and exclusive contented from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here!