Djokovic KO'd as US Open run ends in third spherical

NEW YORK — Defending champion Novak Djokovic was shocked on the US Open one evening after Carlos Alcaraz was, bowing out within the third spherical with a 6-4, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 loss to Twenty eighth-seeded Alexei Popyrin of Australia on Friday evening.

“Simply an terrible match for me,” Djokovic stated. “Tournaments like this occur.”

Not usually for him, although. The No. 2-seeded Djokovic was attempting to turn into the primary participant in tennis historical past with 25 Grand Slam singles titles. As a substitute, after knee surgical procedure in June, he finishes a yr with out claiming no less than one main championship for the primary time since 2017. Earlier than that, it hadn’t occurred since 2010.

Additionally of be aware: This yr is the primary time since 2002 wherein not one of the Massive Three of males’s tennis — Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer — earned a Slam trophy.

The third-round exit equals Djokovic’s worst exhibiting at Flushing Meadows; the one different events he was defeated that early on the US Open got here in 2005 and 2006. The person who defeated Djokovic 18 years in the past, Worldwide Tennis Corridor of Fame member Lleyton Hewitt, is now Australia’s Davis Cup captain and was sitting in Popyrin’s visitor field at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

It is Djokovic’s earliest loss at a significant because the 2017 Australian Open, the place he misplaced within the second spherical to Denis Istomin.

Djokovic, who’s 37, has reached the ultimate at Ashe 10 occasions, leaving with the title in 2011, 2015, 2018 and 2023.

On Friday, although, he double-faulted 14 occasions and regarded bodily sluggish and emotionally flat, maybe residual fatigue after amassing his first Olympic gold medal for Serbia by beating Alcaraz within the remaining on the Paris Video games earlier in August.

“Clearly, it had an impact,” Djokovic stated.

The No. 3-seeded Alcaraz entered the US Open because the match favourite having received the French Open and Wimbledon, and acknowledged his power was decrease than he realized after being eradicated in New York by 74th-ranked Botic Van De Zandschulp 6-1, 7-5, 6-4 on Thursday evening.

Djokovic then changed Alcaraz because the money-line decide to take the lads’s title, in response to ESPN BET, however that standing did not final lengthy.

For the 25-year-old Popyrin, this represented an actual breakthrough: He had been 0-3 towards Djokovic and 0-6 in third-round matches at majors.

However the strong-serving Popyrin is enjoying in addition to ever, coming off the most important title of his profession lower than three weeks in the past at a hard-court match in Montreal, the place he picked up 5 wins towards opponents ranked within the prime 20.

Every thing was working towards Djokovic, who was lower than his traditional excessive requirements.

Popyrin was terrific on the internet, going 10 for 10 on serve-and-volley approaches and 25 for 36 general on factors when he pushed ahead. Djokovic, in distinction, received the purpose on solely 19 of his 40 journeys to the online, partly as a result of Popyrin stored flipping passing photographs by him.

Popyrin took huge cuts together with his highly effective forehand, accumulating 22 of his 50 whole winners with the shot.

And he broke Djokovic 5 occasions, together with for a lead of 3-2 within the fourth. That sport felt titanic, lasting greater than 10 minutes. It included 4 break possibilities for Popyrin, who transformed the final one with an inside-out forehand to shut a 22-stroke change, then rocked again on his heels, clenched each fists and let loose a roar. He took Djokovic’s subsequent service sport, too, to make it 5-2.

The primary time Popyrin served for the match, he faltered, permitting Djokovic to interrupt. The second time, Popyrin completed the deal, holding at love when Djokovic despatched a forehand lengthy.

Now Popyrin will attempt to attain his first Grand Slam quarterfinal by getting previous No. 20 Frances Tiafoe, who superior Friday with a 4-6, 7-5, 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-3 win over No. 13 Ben Shelton in a matchup between two People.

The Related Press contributed to this report.