Novak Djokovic wins his first Olympic gold by beating Carlos Alcaraz in the men's tennis final
Paris, Aug 4: Novak Djokovic won his first Olympic gold medal by beating Carlos Alcaraz 7-6 (3), 7-6 (2) in an enthralling men's tennis singles final Sunday, giving the 37-year-old from Serbia the last significant accomplishment missing from his glittering resume.
Djokovic's impressive career already featured a men's-record 24 Grand Slam titles and the most weeks spent at No. 1 in the rankings by any man or woman. It also already contained a Summer Olympics medal, from 2008, but it was a bronze — and he has made clear that simply was not sufficient.
Until he got past bronze medalist Lorenzo Musetti of Italy in the semifinals Friday, Djokovic was 0-3 in that round at the Games. He lost to the eventual gold winner each time: Rafael Nadal at Beijing in 2008, Andy Murray at London in 2012, and Alexander Zverev in Tokyo three years ago.
In Paris, wearing a gray sleeve over the right knee that required surgery for a torn meniscus two months ago, Djokovic faced Nadal in the second round and eliminated his longtime rival in straight sets. Now Djokovic is the oldest man to win the singles gold in his sport since 1908 — and prevented Spain's Alcaraz, who is 21, from becoming the youngest.
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Bondi beach shooting: Ahmed al Ahmed’s heroic tackling of gunman earns him praise
Donations pour in for Ahmed’s recovery
Melbourne: Ahmed al Ahmed, a 43-year-old convenience store owner and father of two, is being widely praised for his bravery after he tackled and disarmed one of the gunmen during a deadly shooting at Sydney’s Bondi Beach on Sunday, December 14.
The attack took place near a children’s playground during the “Chanukah By The Sea,” a Jewish event, the Hanukkah celebration, which was attended by hundreds of families.
Two gunmen opened fire on the crowd, killing 11 people and injuring many others. In total, 29 people were taken to hospitals across Sydney.
The video that quickly spread across social media showed Ahmed crouching behind parked cars before running towards one of the attackers. As shots rang out, he came from behind, placed the gunman in a headlock, and wrestled the firearm away.
During the struggle, Ahmed was shot twice by a second gunman, suffering injuries to his hand, arm, and leg. Despite his injuries, he managed to disarm the attacker. Australian media later confirmed Ahmed al Ahmed as the man seen in the viral footage.
After the attack, he was widely hailed as a hero. Donations began pouring in from across Australia and abroad to support his recovery.
Quoting Reuters, Hindustan Times reported that a GoFundMe campaign set up for Ahmed raised more than A$1.1 million within a single day. Billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman was the largest donor, contributing A$99,999 and sharing the fundraiser on his X account.
Ahmed is currently recovering in St. George Hospital after undergoing surgery for gunshot wounds, and doctors have said he may require further procedures.
According to local reports, members of the public gathered outside St. George Hospital to show their support.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese praised Ahmed’s actions, saying they prevented the death toll from rising further.
“What we’ve seen in the last 24 hours was the worst of humanity in a terrorist act. But we also saw the best of humanity in Ahmed Al Ahmed running towards danger and putting his own life at risk,” Albanese told state run ABC News. He confirmed that Ahmed was shot twice by the second attacker during the incident.
Family members said Ahmed had no prior experience with firearms and acted purely on instinct.
Police later confirmed that two gunmen were involved in the attack. One was disarmed by Ahmed and later taken into custody in critical condition. The second gunman was fatally shot at the scene by a police officer who arrived shortly after Ahmed’s intervention.
A man who disarmed a terrorist has been identified as a Muslim named Ahmed Al Ahmad during an attack on a Jewish event in Sydney.
— Globe Eye News (@GlobeEyeNews) December 14, 2025
He prevented further harm to Jews. pic.twitter.com/OvU0y0iQq4
