Shock Defeat For Djokovic At The US Open As Popyrin Triumphs.
Defending champion Novak Djokovic suffered a surprising third-round exit at the US Open, falling to Australia’s 28th seed Alexei Popyrin. Popyrin secured a stunning 6-4, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 victory, marking Djokovic’s earliest exit from the tournament in 18 years.
Djokovic, who was chasing a record 25th Grand Slam title, struggled throughout the match, committing 49 unforced errors and serving a career-high 14 double faults in a Grand Slam match. This defeat also means that for the first time since 2017, Djokovic will end the year without a Grand Slam victory.
Popyrin, 25, who is making his first appearance in the fourth round of a Grand Slam, was elated with the win, saying, “It’s unbelievable because I’ve been in the third round about 15 times in my career but haven’t been able to get to the fourth round. To be able to do it against ‘the Goat’ [greatest of all time] to get into the fourth round is unbelievable, it’s a great feeling that the hard work has paid off.”
This loss for Djokovic follows the earlier exit of French Open and Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz, who was defeated by unseeded Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp in the second round.
Popyrin will now face American Frances Tiafoe, who advanced after a thrilling five-set match against fellow countryman Ben Shelton.
