Djokovic: That Rio defeat "destroyed" me
Djokovic recalled his painful first-round loss to Juan Martin del Potro at Rio 2016 and reflected on how it affected him, before later claiming Olympic gold in Paris 2024.
Novak Djokovic has revisited one of the most painful defeats of his career — his shock first-round loss to Juan Martin del Potro at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro — and admitted the result left him shaken.
Djokovic arrived in Rio as the world No. 1 and at the peak of his form. Weeks earlier he had won Roland Garros and completed his career Grand Slam, at that moment holding all four major titles simultaneously.
His Olympic campaign ended abruptly. Del Potro, then the world No. 141 and returning from a long run of injury problems, beat Djokovic in two tiebreaks, 7:6, 7:6. Djokovic left the court in tears.
Reflecting on the match, Djokovic said: "This is, without doubt, one of the toughest defeats in my life and career. The wounds are still fresh. It hurts terribly because I was knocked out so early, but on the other hand I am happy for Del Potro because he went through many injuries."
A defeat that lingered — and a later closure
Djokovic added that the loss hit him particularly hard because he had gone to Rio at his best. "I was at the peak of my form, number one in the world and had already won all four Grand Slam tournaments. I hardly missed a ball. That defeat destroyed me and made me doubt my ability to achieve this while I was at the highest level," he said.
What represented a major sporting trauma in 2016 had a very different ending eight years later. At the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, Djokovic finally won the only major title missing from his résumé, defeating Carlos Alcaraz in the final to claim Olympic gold and close an important chapter of his career.
Photo: BNP Paribas Open@BNPPARIBASOPEN
