By In a stunning turn of events at the U.S. Open, defending champion Novak Djokovic was eliminated in the third round by 28th-seeded Alexei Popyrin of Australia, falling 6-4, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 on Friday night. This upset, coming just a day after 2022 champion Carlos Alcaraz’s shock exit, has dramatically reshaped the men’s draw at Flushing Meadows.
Djokovic, the No. 2 seed and a 23-time Grand Slam champion, delivered a scathing self-assessment of his performance. “I have played some of the worst tennis I have ever played, honestly,” he said in a post-match press conference. “Serving — by far — the worst ever.” The Serbian star committed an uncharacteristic 14 double faults, bringing his tournament total to 32.
This early exit marks only the third time in Djokovic’s career that he has been eliminated in the third round at the U.S. Open, with previous occurrences in 2005 and 2006. It also ends his quest to become the first player in tennis history with 25 Grand Slam singles titles.
Popyrin, 25, secured his first victory over Djokovic in four attempts. The Australian played aggressively throughout the match, winning all 10 of his serve-and-volley approaches and 25 of 36 net points overall. He broke Djokovic’s serve five times and hit 50 winners, including 22 with his powerful forehand.
“I didn’t want to be one of those moments where Novak kind of stepped up and came back from two-sets-to-love down,” Popyrin said, reflecting on his mindset during the match. “That was going through my head.”
Djokovic cited residual fatigue from winning Olympic gold in Paris earlier in August as a factor in his subpar performance. “I spent a lot of energy winning the gold, and I did arrive to New York just not feeling fresh mentally and physically,” he explained. “But because it’s the U.S. Open, I gave it a shot and I tried my best.”
The upset follows the shocking elimination of top-seeded Carlos Alcaraz by 74th-ranked Botic van de Zandschulp on Thursday night. This marks only the third time in the Open era that two of the top three men’s seeds at the U.S. Open have been eliminated before the fourth round, with previous occurrences in 1973 and 2000.
With Djokovic and Alcaraz out, 2021 champion Daniil Medvedev is now the only former U.S. Open winner remaining in the men’s draw before the end of the first week. Medvedev, seeded third, is set to face No. 31 Flavio Cobolli in the third round on Saturday.
Popyrin will face No. 20 seed Frances Tiafoe in the fourth round, aiming for his first Grand Slam quarterfinal appearance. Tiafoe advanced with a five-set victory over fellow American Ben Shelton, 4-6, 7-5, 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-3.
The unexpected exits of Djokovic and Alcaraz have significantly altered the tournament’s landscape. “Look, Alcaraz is out. I’m out. Some big upsets. The draw is opening up,” Djokovic commented, acknowledging the shift in the competition.
As the tournament progresses into its second week, the absence of two top contenders has created opportunities for lower-seeded players to make deep runs. Tennis fans and analysts will be watching closely to see who emerges as potential new champions at this year’s U.S. Open.
The upsets also mark a significant moment in men’s tennis, as 2024 will be the first year since 2002 that none of the Big Three — Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer — have claimed a major title, potentially signaling a changing of the guard in the sport.
apnews.com
