Novak Djokovic, the defending champion, experienced a surprising third-round exit at the U.S. Open, losing to Australia's 28th-seeded Alexei Popyrin with scores of 6-4, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4. This defeat follows closely on the heels of 2022 champion Carlos Alcaraz's earlier departure from the tournament, marking an unexpected turn of events at Flushing Meadows.
Djokovic, aged 37, cited exhaustion from his recent Olympic gold medal win as a contributing factor to his poor performance. He admitted to not feeling "fresh, mentally and physically" upon arriving in New York, describing his match as "awful" and stating he was playing some of the "worst tennis" of his career. Despite the motivation of a Grand Slam, he couldn't find his game.
His bid for a record 25th Grand Slam title was thwarted, and this loss ensures he will end the year without winning a major championship for the first time since 2017. During the match, Djokovic recorded a career-high 14 double faults in a Grand Slam match and accumulated 49 unforced errors. Over his three matches in the tournament, he served a total of 32 double faults.
The unexpected early exit for Djokovic also means that for the first time since 2002, a year will conclude without one of the "Big Three" — Djokovic, Rafa Nadal, or Roger Federer — securing a major title. Popyrin, who expressed disbelief at reaching the fourth round for the first time in his career, took advantage of Djokovic's struggles, becoming the first player in 18 years to beat Djokovic before the fourth round of the U.S. Open.
