Washington: Defending U.S. Open champion Novak Djokovic suffered a surprising defeat in the third round of the Grand Slam on Friday, losing to Australian Alexei Popyrin with a score of 6-4, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4. This upset followed the elimination of another top contender, Carlos Alcaraz, just the day before.
Djokovic, the second seed, aimed to be the first tennis player to win 25 Grand Slam singles titles. Yet, this loss signifies the first time since 2017 that he hasn’t won at least one major championship, with the previous instance being in 2010.
The year 2024 stands out as the first since 2002 when none of the ‘Big Three’ in men’s tennis—Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer—have claimed a Grand Slam title.
Matching his worst performance at Flushing Meadows, Djokovic was ousted in the third round, a repeat of his 2005 and 2006 exits. Notably, Lleyton Hewitt, who bested Djokovic 18 years prior and is now Australia’s Davis Cup captain, supported Popyrin from the guest box at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
At age 37, Djokovic has been a finalist at Ashe 10 times, securing victories in 2011, 2015, 2018, and 2023. However, this Friday, he was hampered by 14 double faults and seemed physically slow and emotionally spent, perhaps due to lingering fatigue from winning his first Olympic gold medal for Serbia against Alcaraz in the Paris Games final earlier in August.
Alcaraz, the third seed, was the U.S. Open favourite after triumphs at the French Open and Wimbledon. Yet, he conceded to feeling unexpectedly weary following his defeat by 74th-ranked Botic van de Zandschulp with scores of 6-1, 7-5, 6-4 on Thursday night.
After Alcaraz’s departure, Djokovic was briefly favoured to win the men’s title by BetMGM Sportsbook, but his lead was fleeting.
