Djoker loses Golden ticket

Novak Djokovic won’t win tennis’ Golden Slam — not this year anyway.

The 34-year-old Djokovic, who has been unbeatable for most of this year, lost to world No. 5 Alexander Zverev of Germany, 1-6, 6-3, 6-1 in the semifinals at the Tokyo Olympics on Friday.

“I feel so terrible right now,” Djokovic said. “I can’t be positive right now.”

Djokovic, the top-ranked player in the world had been hoping to become the first man to win the Golden Slam: all four majors and the Olympics in the same calendar year. Only Steffi Graf, in 1988, has accomplished the feat.

The Serbian already has triumphed at the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon this year, with just the U.S. Open still to come. After his semifinals loss, Djokovic’s bid is gone.

“He won 20 Grand Slams [tournaments],” Zverev said. “So you can’t have everything.”

Djokovic took the first set within 37 minutes, but Zverev fired back to clinch the match and a spot in the Olympic final in the final two sets.

Zverev, 24, will face Karen Khachanov of the Russian Olympic Committee on Sunday for the gold medal. Khachanov beat Pablo Carreno Busta of Spain 6-3, 6-3. Djokovic — a 2008 bronze medallist — will compete in the bronze medal match, on Saturday, against Busta.

After losing to Zverev, Djokovic still had a chance for his first gold medal, but he and mixed doubles partner Nina Stojanovic lost 7-6 (4), 7-5 in the semifinals to the ROC’s Elena Vesnina and Aslan Karatsev barely an hour after his men’s singles defeat.

“I told him that he’s the greatest of all time,” Zverev said. “I know that he was chasing history, he was chasing [the] Golden Slam. … We’re very close. … So of course I’m happy that I’ve won, but in the end of the day I also know [how] he feels.”