Novak Djokovic Stunned in Huge U.S. Open Upset Just Hours After Carlos Alcaraz’s Shocking Exit!

**Novak Djokovic, the defending U.S. Open champion, has been eliminated, just a day after Carlos Alcaraz’s early exit.**

 

**NEW YORK (AP) —** Novak Djokovic was candid in his self-assessment following his lackluster performance at the U.S. Open, where his defense of the 2023 title came to a surprising end in the third round. Reflecting on his game, Djokovic attributed his defeat primarily to his poor serving.

 

“I have played some of the worst tennis I have ever played, honestly,” Djokovic admitted after his match ended just past midnight on Friday. “Serving — by far — the worst ever.” The Serbian star struggled with 14 double faults in his 6-4, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 loss to 28th-seeded Alexei Popyrin of Australia. This shock defeat came just a day after the 2022 champion, Carlos Alcaraz, was also eliminated.

 

This marks only the third time in the Open era that two of the top three men’s seeds have been knocked out before the fourth round at the U.S. Open; the previous instances were in 1973 and 2000.

 

“It was just an awful match for me,” Djokovic, the No. 2 seed, stated. “I wasn’t playing even close to my best. It’s not good to be in that kind of state where you feel OK physically, and of course you’re motivated because it’s a Grand Slam, but you just are not able to find your game. That’s it. The game is falling apart, and I guess you have to accept that tournaments like this happen.”

 

Such tournaments do not happen often for Djokovic. He was aiming to become the first player in tennis history to win 25 Grand Slam singles titles. However, after knee surgery in June, Djokovic finishes this year without claiming at least one major championship for the first time since 2017. The last time this happened before then was in 2010.

 

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

 

Djokovic’s early exit from the U.S. Open matches his worst result at Flushing Meadows; the only other times he was eliminated this early were in 2005 and 2006. Interestingly, the man who defeated Djokovic 18 years ago, Lleyton Hewitt, who is now Australia’s Davis Cup captain, was present in Popyrin’s guest box at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

 

Popyrin acknowledged Djokovic’s below-par performance, saying, “He wasn’t playing his best tennis; I was waiting for him to kind of step up.”

 

“I didn’t want it to be one of those moments where Novak kind of stepped up and came back from two sets to love down,” Popyrin said. “That was going through my head.”

 

Djokovic, now 37, has reached the final at Ashe 10 times, winning the title in 2011, 2015, 2018, and 2023. On Friday, however, he appeared sluggish and emotionally drained, perhaps feeling the residual fatigue after winning his first Olympic gold medal for Serbia by defeating Alcaraz in the final at the Paris Games earlier in August.

 

“Obviously, it had an effect,” Djokovic explained. “I spent a lot of energy winning the gold, and I did arrive to New York just not feeling fresh mentally and physically. But because it’s the U.S. Open, I gave it a shot and I tried my best. I mean, I didn’t have any physical issues. I just felt out of gas. And you could see that with the way I played.”

 

Alcaraz, the No. 3 seed, entered the U.S. Open as the tournament favorite after winning the French Open and Wimbledon earlier this year. He admitted that his energy levels were lower than expected following his defeat to 74th-ranked Botic van de Zandschulp, who beat him 6-1, 7-5, 6-4 on Thursday night.

 

“I woke up this morning and showed my girlfriend straightaway, in shock. It was crazy. Results like that happen,” Popyrin said, describing his reaction to Alcaraz’s defeat. “I thought to myself: Why not me today?” This was Popyrin’s first match on the playing surface at the 23,000-plus capacity Ashe, only 20 minutes before taking on Djokovic.

 

With Djokovic’s elimination, Alcaraz was initially replaced as the favorite to win the men’s title according to BetMGM Sportsbook, but Djokovic’s new status didn’t last long. Now, the only past U.S. Open men’s champion remaining before Week 1 is even over is Daniil Medvedev, whose lone Slam title came in 2021. He faces No. 31 Flavio Cobolli on Saturday in the third round.

 

For the 25-year-old Popyrin, this victory is a significant milestone. He had been 0-3 against Djokovic — including losses at the Australian Open and Wimbledon this year — and 0-6 in third-round matches at Grand Slam tournaments.

 

However, Popyrin’s game has never been stronger. He recently won the biggest title of his career at a hard-court tournament in Montreal, where he secured five wins against top-20 opponents.

 

Against Djokovic, everything was working for Popyrin. He excelled at the net, winning 10 out of 10 points on serve-and-volley approaches and 25 out of 36 overall when he moved forward. In contrast, Djokovic only won 19 of his 40 net points, partly due to Popyrin’s effective passing shots.

 

Popyrin’s powerful forehand was a major weapon, accounting for 22 of his 50 total winners. He broke Djokovic’s serve five times, including a crucial break for a 3-2 lead in the fourth set. That game lasted over 10 minutes and featured four break points for Popyrin, who eventually converted the last with an inside-out forehand after a 22-stroke rally, then celebrated with a roar. He broke Djokovic’s serve again to go up 5-2.

 

Although Djokovic managed to break back when Popyrin first served for the match, the Australian finished it off on his second attempt, holding serve at love when Djokovic hit a forehand long.

 

Next, Popyrin will attempt to reach his first Grand Slam quarterfinal by defeating No. 20 Frances Tiafoe, who advanced on Friday with a 4-6, 7-5, 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-3 win over No. 13 Ben Shelton in an all-American match-up.

 

“If he serves well, plays well, he can beat anybody,” Djokovic said of Popyrin. “Look, Alcaraz is out. I’m out. Some big upsets. The draw is opening up.”