Laura Robson’s column: Changing into a fan of pole vault sensation Mondo Duplantis and Novak Djokovic’s tears | Tennis Information

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In her newest Sky Sports activities column, Laura Robson displays on her experiences on the Paris Olympics, together with watching Mondo Duplantis leap into the pole vault world report books and watching Novak Djokovic fall to his knees in tears after finishing a profession Golden Slam…

I had the very best time on the Olympics. It was every part that I would hoped for and extra, as a result of while you play on the Olympics, you are type of faraway from all of it in a method. You do not have the time to do a lot aside from your sport, and while you’re completed, you allow.

For this Olympics, I used to be there for two-and-a-half-weeks from begin to end and managed to get in all places. I went to as many venues as I may. I would arrive again on the lodge within the night, take a look at the schedule to see what sports activities have been nonetheless on, then head straight off to a special sport in one other stadium.

The environment was unbelievable. Even at Roland Garros, it felt so completely different and so energetic in comparison with what we’re used to there.

Picture:
Robson watched Duplantis break his personal world report for the ninth time

My spotlight was the pole vault world report as a result of the environment was electrical. I am now obsessive about [Mondo] Duplantis!

I did not know something concerning the pole vault initially of the night time. I would gone particularly to observe the 800m and Britain’s Keely Hodgkinson, then you definately see all of the build-up the place fellow athletes have been struggling to get to five.70m, and it regarded like a stroll within the park for him.

He skipped heights as the opposite athletes have been competing and the digital camera would reduce to him, mendacity on the ground having a rest second. Up till 6m it appeared like a breeze for him, it regarded like he had sufficient time to take a selfie up within the air.

France, Saint-Denis: Olympics, Paris 2024, athletics, Stade de France, pole vault, men, final, Armand Duplantis from Sweden gesticulates. Photo by: Sven Hoppe/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images
Picture:
Duplantis does his greatest impression of Turkish pistol shooter Yusuf Dikec

He gained gold about 25 minutes earlier than he broke the world report, however what I cherished about it was by the point it arrived on the world report top there was nothing else happening within the stadium. At any given time in athletics there are three or 4 occasions taking place without delay, however 75,000 individuals stayed to see him leap 6.25m on the third try!

He wanted about 10 minutes in between makes an attempt, so the build-up to the ultimate one was simply magic. I used to be pondering, ‘after all it was going to be on his third try’ as a result of that was essentially the most superb fairy-tale Olympics second. I am nonetheless on cloud 9 from the expertise.

Now I need to be in Los Angeles for 2028 – I should be engaged on it someway!

A shocking males’s tennis last…

Novak Djokovic of Serbia celebrates after winning against Carlos Alcaraz of Spain during the Men's Singles Gold medal match on Court Philippe-Chatrier at Roland-Garros Stadium during the Paris 2024 Olympics Games on August 04, 2024 in Paris, France. AFP7 04/08/2024 (Europa Press via AP)
Picture:
Novak Djokovic celebrates defeating Carlos Alcaraz within the males’s singles gold medal match at Roland Garros

It is unbelievable the way in which Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz can play tennis. The gold medal meant a lot to them each.

All that build-up and strain for Djokovic figuring out Paris was in all probability his final Olympics and a last likelihood at gold. To play that effectively towards somebody he had misplaced to simply a few weeks earlier than. Somebody who has simply gained two Grand Slams, who’s having an unbelievable summer season – I discovered it actually inspiring!

How he was so motivated to win this one factor that he had by no means accomplished in tennis, so the response mentioned all of it ultimately.

Novak Djokovic wins men's singles at Paris Olympics (Getty Images)
Picture:
Djokovic collects his Olympic gold medal

It was such a second seeing Djokovic and Alcaraz crying on the similar time on reverse ends of the court docket. There was a lot happening, glad tears and unhappy tears unexpectedly. That was type of the theme for the whole week. Nearly everybody that got here by the blended zone had a tear of their eye sooner or later!

The twenty fifth Grand Slam does not really feel too distant for Novak, however he is on a well-earned break and I believe we might want to see if he even desires to indicate up on the US Open…

We all know Djokovic can win the US Open!

He is achieved one thing that he is described as the head of his sporting profession, so I believe it is fairly exhausting to reset after that.

We all know he can win it! We completely know he can do it, however whether or not he desires to return again so quickly is the problem.

How can something stay as much as that second of profitable the medal you have at all times needed?

Then to see his homecoming in Serbia and to see the response that he is had from the general public. It will likely be robust to reach in New York raring to go!

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