CONGRATULATOIN: Novak Djokovic Was Award As Best Tennis Player, Receiving Different Award From……………..read more.
Defending champion Novak Djokovic was eliminated from the US Open in a surprising third-round defeat by Alexei Popyrin. Australia’s 28th seed Popyrin secured a stunning 6-4, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 victory, marking Djokovic’s earliest exit from the US Open in 18 years.
This defeat means Djokovic will end the year without a Grand Slam title for the first time since 2017, leaving his quest for a record 25th major title unfulfilled. Djokovic struggled with his form, serving a career-high 14 double faults in a Grand Slam match and committing 49 unforced errors.
“I played some of the worst tennis I’ve ever played,” said the 37-year-old Djokovic. “Given how I felt and played from the start of the tournament, reaching the third round is a success.”
Djokovic’s exit follows that of French Open and Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz, who lost to unseeded Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp in the second round.
Reflecting on his performance, Djokovic noted that he “spent a lot of energy” winning Olympic gold, which he considers his “biggest sporting achievement.” He added, “I tried my best, I didn’t have any physical issues. I just felt out of gas, and you could see that. From the first match, I just didn’t find myself on this court.”
Popyrin, 25, will advance to his first Grand Slam fourth round, where he will face Frances Tiafoe, who defeated fellow American Ben Shelton in a five-set thriller.
Popyrin had a strong lead-up to the US Open, winning his first ATP Masters 1000 title in Montreal earlier in the month. His confidence showed as he navigated the first set, fending off five break points before breaking Djokovic’s serve at 4-4 and closing out the set. Popyrin’s momentum continued in the second set, winning 88% of points on his first serve as Djokovic’s struggles persisted.
Djokovic briefly rallied in the third set, winning the first three games, but a lapse allowed Popyrin to break back. Despite Djokovic’s efforts to energize the crowd and maintain his title defense, Popyrin stayed composed, converting his fourth break point in the fourth set to put Djokovic in serious trouble. Popyrin then held off two break points and capitalized on Djokovic’s errors to secure the victory.
Popyrin expressed his elation after the match, saying, “It’s unbelievable because I’ve been in the third round about 15 times in my career but haven’t been able to get to the fourth round. To be able to do it against the greatest of all time is unbelievable. It’s a great feeling that the hard work has paid off.”
In other matches, Frances Tiafoe avenged his previous US Open loss to Ben Shelton by winning a five-set battle, while Taylor Fritz continued his strong run with a straight-sets win over Francisco Comesana. Andrey Rublev also advanced to the fourth round, setting up a match with Grigor Dimitrov after both secured convincing victories.
