Novak Djokovic suffered a stunning third-round exit at the US Open, falling to 28th seed Alexei Popyrin of Australia in four sets.
The Serbian star, aiming to become the first player in history to win 25 Grand Slam singles titles, was visibly out of sorts from the start of the match. Djokovic struggled with his serve, committing a staggering 14 double faults, taking his tournament total to a worrying 32. This marked the worst serving performance of his career, according to the 37-year-old.
"Honestly, I've played some of the worst tennis I've ever played," Djokovic admitted after the match. "My serving was by far the worst ever."
The defeat marks Djokovic's earliest exit at a major since the 2017 Australian Open, where he was eliminated in the second round. It is also his earliest loss at the US Open since 2006, when he fell in the third round.
Djokovic's performance was plagued by sluggishness and a lack of emotional intensity, perhaps a consequence of the physical and mental toll taken by winning his first Olympic gold medal for Serbia at the Paris Games earlier in August.
"Obviously, it had an effect," Djokovic conceded. "I spent a lot of energy winning the gold, and I didn't arrive in New York feeling fresh mentally and physically. But because it's the US Open, I gave it a shot and tried my best. I didn't have any physical issues, I just felt out of gas."
Meanwhile, Popyrin, who had never won a match against Djokovic before, played with impressive confidence and a powerful serve. The 25-year-old Australian was particularly dominant at the net, winning 10 of his 10 serve-and-volley approaches.
The match saw Popyrin break Djokovic's serve five times, including in a pivotal game in the fourth set that lasted over 10 minutes. This win marks a significant breakthrough for Popyrin, who recently clinched the biggest title of his career at a hard-court tournament in Montreal, defeating five top-20 opponents en route to the championship.
The defeat marks a disappointing end to a year without a Grand Slam title for Djokovic, who last achieved this in 2017. Furthermore, 2024 becomes the first season since 2002 where none of the men's tennis "Big Three" â Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer â have won a Grand Slam trophy.
With the exit of both Djokovic and reigning Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz, who was eliminated by Botic Van De Zandschulp in the previous round, the US Open men's singles draw has become wide open.
Popyrin will now face Frances Tiafoe in the fourth round, aiming to reach his first Grand Slam quarterfinal. "If he serves well, plays well, he can beat anybody," Djokovic said of Popyrin. "Look, Alcaraz is out. I'm out. Some big upsets. The draw is opening up."
