This is the first time in 18 years that Novak Djokovic has been eliminated in the third round of the US Open.
Novak Djokovic experienced his earliest US Open exit in 18 years on Friday, losing in a four-set match to Alexei Popyrin in the third round, raising more doubts about his long-term future in tennis. The 37-year-old Djokovic, a four-time US Open champion, was defeated 6-4, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 by the 28th-ranked Australian, preventing him from achieving his goal of winning a record 25th Grand Slam title.
In a match where Djokovic made an uncharacteristic 14 double faults and 49 unforced errors, this loss marks the first time since 2017 that he will finish a season without a Grand Slam title.
This defeat caps a challenging year for Djokovic, during which Jannik Sinner won the Australian Open, Carlos Alcaraz claimed the French Open title, and then defeated Djokovic in the Wimbledon final.
Sinner not only beat Djokovic in the Australian Open semi-finals but also took over his world number one ranking, which Djokovic had held for a total of 428 weeks.
A knee injury that required surgery forced Djokovic to withdraw from the French Open right before his quarter-final match.
Even after recovering, Djokovic couldn’t stop Alcaraz from winning his eighth Wimbledon title.
Friday’s surprising defeat means that for the first time since 2002, none of the Grand Slam titles will be won by any of the ‘Big Three’—Djokovic, the absent Rafael Nadal, or the retired Roger Federer.
Djokovic’s exit was another blow to the US Open after Alcaraz’s shocking second-round defeat on Thursday.
“I played some good tennis,” said Popyrin, who was watched by Lleyton Hewitt from his player’s box—the same player who stunned Djokovic in the third round of the US Open in 2006.
“Beating the greatest of all time to reach the fourth round of a Grand Slam is unbelievable.”
Despite a difficult year, Djokovic did find some consolation by winning the Olympic gold in Paris earlier in August.
He described his victory over Alcaraz as his “greatest achievement,” becoming just the sixth player to complete the Golden Slam of four majors and Olympic gold.
That Olympic title—his 99th career victory—could turn out to be his last major triumph.
If Djokovic continues playing into 2025 and wins an 11th Australian Open in January, he would become the oldest male Grand Slam champion in the modern era.
On Friday, Djokovic missed a crucial opportunity by failing to convert five break points in the sixth game of the opening set against Popyrin, who is 12 years younger.
In contrast, Popyrin capitalized on a single break point in the ninth game and confidently served out the first set.
Although Popyrin had lost to Djokovic at the Australian Open and Wimbledon earlier this year, he came to New York with renewed confidence after winning his first Masters title in Montreal.
That hardcourt confidence was evident as he broke Djokovic’s serve to lead 3-2 in the second set, extended his lead to 4-2, and clinched the set with a strong serve-and-volley play.
However, Djokovic showed his resilience by breaking Popyrin’s serve twice to take the third set.
In a dramatic fourth set, a fired-up Popyrin broke Djokovic’s serve to lead 3-2 with a powerful forehand, celebrating with a roar that echoed through Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Popyrin surged ahead with a double break before Djokovic fought back to recover one break.
But Popyrin held firm to secure a memorable victory, potentially marking a pivotal moment in Djokovic’s career.
