Defending champion Novak Djokovic stunned at US Open, following Carlos Alcaraz's surprise loss

PTC News Desk: Defending champion Novak Djokovic was stunned at the US Open on Friday night, suffering a surprising exit in the third round with a 6-4, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 loss to 28th-seeded Alexei Popyrin of Australia. This defeat came just one night after Carlos Alcaraz, the tournament favorite, was also eliminated.

Djokovic, seeded No. 2 and aiming to become the first player in tennis history to win 25 Grand Slam singles titles, ends the year without a major championship for the first time since 2017. Prior to this year, he had not gone a season without a Grand Slam title since 2010.

Additionally, 2024 marks the first year since 2002 in which none of the Big Three of men's tennis—Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer—has won a Grand Slam title.

Djokovic’s early exit from the US Open equals his worst performance at Flushing Meadows. His previous earliest exits were in 2005 and 2006. At 37, Djokovic has reached the US Open final ten times, winning the title in 2011, 2015, 2018, and 2023.

On Friday, Djokovic struggled with his form, double-faulting 14 times and appearing physically sluggish and emotionally flat. This may have been due to residual fatigue following his victory in the Olympic gold medal match against Alcaraz at the Paris Games earlier in August.

Alcaraz, who entered the US Open as the top seed after winning the French Open and Wimbledon, admitted he was more fatigued than he realized after his elimination by 74th-ranked Botic van de Zandschulp in the previous round.

Djokovic had briefly become the favorite to win the men's title according to BetMGM Sportsbook, but that status was short-lived.

For Popyrin, the victory marked a significant breakthrough. Previously, he had a 0-3 record against Djokovic and had never advanced past the third round in a Grand Slam. Popyrin, who recently won his first major title in Montreal, showcased strong form with powerful serves and effective net play.

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Popyrin was exceptional at the net, successfully converting 10 of 10 serve-and-volley approaches and winning 25 of 36 points when he moved forward. Djokovic, on the other hand, won only 19 of 40 net points, largely due to Popyrin’s effective passing shots.

Popyrin broke Djokovic’s serve five times, including a crucial break to take a 3-2 lead in the fourth set. He converted a long rally to secure the break and then took Djokovic's next service game to lead 5-2. Although Popyrin faltered on his first match point, he secured victory on his second attempt, holding serve at love as Djokovic sent a forehand long.

Popyrin will now face No. 20 Frances Tiafoe in the fourth round. Tiafoe advanced with a five-set victory over No. 13 Ben Shelton, winning 4-6, 7-5, 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-3.

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