Alexei Popyrin stunned No. 2 seed Novak Djokovic in four sets, securing his place in the fourth round of the US Open. Djokovic’s performance was lackluster, with his serving being particularly sloppy, which he acknowledged as a significant factor in his early exit from the tournament.
Djokovic expressed disappointment in his play, stating, “I have played some of the worst tennis I have ever played, honestly.” He finished the match with 14 double-faults, contributing to a total of 32 throughout the tournament, leading to a 6-4, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 defeat against the 28th-seeded Australian. This marks Djokovic’s earliest exit at a Grand Slam since the 2017 Australian Open and only the third time in Open era history that two of the top three men’s seeds have been eliminated before the fourth round.
“It was just an awful match for me,” Djokovic remarked. He felt physically fine and motivated but struggled to find his game. This year, he was aiming to become the first player to achieve 25 Grand Slam titles. However, following knee surgery in June, he ended the season without a major title for the first time since 2017, and not since 2010 had he failed to win any major.
Additionally, this year marks the first time since 2002 that none of the “Big Three” – Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer – captured a Grand Slam title.
Djokovic’s third-round exit equals his worst performance at the US Open, a position he also faced in 2005 and 2006. Notably, Lleyton Hewitt, who defeated Djokovic in 2005, is now Australia’s Davis Cup captain and was present to support Popyrin during the match.
Popyrin acknowledged Djokovic’s struggles, stating, “I was waiting for him to kind of step up.” He made a strategic decision not to let Djokovic recover after being up two sets.
At 37, Djokovic has reached the US Open finals ten times, winning titles in 2011, 2015, 2018, and 2023. However, he looked sluggish in this match, possibly due to fatigue after winning his first Olympic gold medal earlier in August.
“I’m not feeling fresh mentally and physically. I just felt out of gas,” Djokovic admitted.
The tournament’s favorite, No. 3 seed Carlos Alcaraz, was also eliminated recently, acknowledging that fatigue played a role in his performance as well.
Popyrin’s victory marks a significant milestone, considering he had previously been 0-3 against Djokovic and was 0-6 in third-round matches at major tournaments. The Australian has been in great form, recently winning a major title in Montreal.
Popyrin played exceptionally well, particularly at the net, successfully completing 10-for-10 on serve-and-volley approaches. He achieved five breaks against Djokovic, including pivotal moments late in the match, ultimately sealing the victory during his second match point.
Now, Popyrin will aim for his first Grand Slam quarterfinal against No. 20 Frances Tiafoe, who advanced with a hard-fought win over Ben Shelton.
Djokovic reflected on the upsets in the tournament, saying, “If he serves well, plays well, he can beat anybody. Look, Alcaraz is out. I’m out. Some big upsets. The draw is opening up.”