Novak Djokovic Suffers Early US Open Exit After Defeat by Alexei Popyrin
Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz both experienced unexpected exits from the US Open, The Independent reported. Defending champion Djokovic was defeated in the third round by 28th seed Alexei Popyrin with scores of 6-4, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4, marking his earliest departure from the tournament in 18 years and his first year without a Grand Slam win since 2017. Djokovic, visibly disappointed, stated he played "some of the worst tennis I have ever played," serving a career-high 14 double faults and committing 49 unforced errors. Reflecting on his performance, he admitted: "On my end, honestly, the way I felt and the way I played from the beginning of this tournament, the third round is a success."
Djokovic also noted the impact of the emotionally and physically draining Olympic win he achieved earlier this month, indicating that he was "out of gas" from the beginning of the tournament. Despite trying his best, he felt the lack of freshness affected his performance. Popyrin, elated by his victory, called this win the highlight of his career, especially since it was his first time reaching the fourth round of a Grand Slam. He attributed his success to his composed demeanor and tactical gameplay, which have improved significantly throughout the season.
Adding significance to the outcome, this defeat prevented Djokovic from claiming a record 25th major title and hindered his chance to surpass Margaret Court's record for most Grand Slam singles titles. Meanwhile, Djokovic's exit coincided with Alcaraz's surprise loss to unseeded Botic van de Zandschulp. Both champions' elimination hints at a potential shift in tennis dominance, underscoring the ever-evolving nature of the sport.
While Djokovic reflected on his need to recalibrate and look ahead, Popyrin, buoyed by his ATP Masters 1000 win earlier this month, expressed hope and confidence in further achievements, having found strength and inspiration from unexpected victories in the tournament.
Earlier, SSP wrote that Jonnie Peacock aimed for third Paralympic gold at Paris 2024.