The next title favorite fails at the US Open: One day after Carlos Alcaraz, it’s Novak Djokovic’s turn. The Serb sees his Olympic triumph as an important factor in the defeat.
Novak Djokovic shouldered his golden bags and stomped out of the world’s largest tennis arena after the next big sensation at the US Open. After Carlos Alcaraz, the defending champion was the second top favorite to fail at the Grand Slam tournament in New York before the round of 16.
The 37-year-old Serb lost to Australian Alexei Popyrin in the third round 4:6, 4:6, 6:2, 4:6 and was eliminated earlier than he had been since 2006 at the US Open. “It was a terrible match from me,” said Djokovic, dismayed. “At times I played my worst tennis ever, served worse than ever.” This means that the 24-time Grand Slam tournament winner remains without a triumph at one of the four biggest tournaments for the first time since 2017.
Barely a month after his triumph at the Olympics in Paris, Djokovic was far from the brilliant form he showed in the final victory over Alcaraz. “I spent a lot of energy winning gold and arrived in New York without feeling mentally and physically fresh,” he said. Before that, world number three Alcaraz from Spain had already suffered a surprise defeat in the second round to Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp.
Popyrin in a Grand Slam round of 16 for the first time
Popyrin, seeded 28th, once again proved his strong hard court form and showed some inspiring tennis at times. He celebrated spectacular point wins with great enthusiasm and repeatedly fired up the crowd in Arthur Ashe Stadium. After winning the match, he spread his arms, screamed his joy and enjoyed the ovations from the spectators. “It’s unbelievable,” he enthused. “To make it to the fourth round against the greatest in history is a fantastic feeling.”
In preparation, Popyrin had won the Masters 1000 tournament in Montreal and now made it to the round of 16 at a Grand Slam tournament for the first time in his career.
In the third round last year against fellow countryman Laslo Djere, Djokovic had already lost the first two sets 4:6. Back then, the most successful tennis professional in history fought back successfully and won the tournament.
But with the score at 2:2 in the fourth set, Popyrin managed to make the decisive break in a hard-fought match with a whipping forehand. The 25-year-old pulled ahead to 5:2, faltered briefly once more, but deservedly celebrated the biggest success of his career so far.
Source: Stern
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