Defending champion Novak Djokovic loses to Alexei Popyrin in U.S. Open

Defending champion Novak Djokovic was shocked on the U.S. Open one night time 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 night time.

The No. 2-seeded Djokovic was making an attempt to turn into the primary participant in tennis historical past with 25 Grand Slam singles titles. As an alternative, after knee surgical procedure in June, he finishes a 12 months with out claiming at the least one main championship for the primary time since 2017. Earlier than that, it hadn’t occurred since 2010.

Additionally of be aware: 2024 now turns into the primary season since 2002 through which not one of the Huge Three of males’s tennis — Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer — earned a Slam trophy.

The third-round exit equals Djokovic’s worst displaying at Flushing Meadows; the one different events he was overwhelmed that early on the U.S. 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 in Arthur Ashe Stadium.

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

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

The No. 3-seeded Alcaraz entered the U.S. Open because the event favourite having received the French Open and Wimbledon, and acknowledged his energy was lower than he realized after getting eliminated in New York by 74th-ranked Botic van de Zandschulp 6-1, 7-5, 6-4 on Thursday night time.

Djokovic then changed Alcaraz because the money-line decide to take the boys’s title, in keeping with BetMGM Sportsbook, however that standing didn’t final lengthy in any respect.

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

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

Every part was working in opposition to Djokovic, who was lower than his regular excessive requirements.

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

Popyrin took large cuts together with his highly effective forehand, accumulating 22 of his 50 complete winners with that shot.

And he broke Djokovic 5 instances, together with for a lead of 3-2 within the fourth. That sport felt titanic, lasting greater than 10 minutes and together with 4 break possibilities for Popyrin, who transformed the final with an inside-out forehand to shut a 22-stroke trade, then rocked again on his heels, clenched each fists and set free 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.