International Courant
NEW YORK — NEW YORK (AP) — Novak Djokovic was not type to himself when he assessed the lackluster means through which he carried out from the beginning US Openpointing to his sloppy play as the primary purpose his 2023 title protection surprisingly ended within the third spherical.
“I actually performed a few of the worst tennis I’ve ever performed,” Djokovic mentioned, simply after midnight as Friday became Saturday. “By far the worst serve I’ve ever performed.”
With 14 double faults, taking his event whole to 32, Djokovic was compelled to retire with a 6-4, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 loss to Twenty eighth-seeded Alexei Popyrin of Australia in one other shock outcome at Flushing Meadows, one night time after the 2022 champion. Carlos Alcaraz to go away.
It’s only the third time within the Open period that two of the highest three males on the US Open have been eradicated earlier than the fourth spherical, the opposite instances being in 1973 and 2000.
“It was only a horrible match for me,” mentioned No. 2 Djokovic. “I did not play wherever close to my finest recreation. It isn’t good to be in that state the place you are feeling good bodily, and naturally you are motivated as a result of it is a Grand Slam, however you are simply not capable of finding your recreation. That is it. The sport is falling aside, and I believe it’s important to settle for that tournaments like this occur.”
For him, that isn’t typically the case.
Djokovic, in spite of everything, was trying to turn into the primary participant in tennis historical past to win 25 Grand Slam singles titles. As a substitute, following knee surgical procedure in June, he ends a 12 months with out claiming at the least one main championship for the primary time since 2017. Earlier than that, it hadn’t occurred since 2010.
Additionally of notice: 2024 will now be the primary season since 2002 through which not one of the three main males’s tennis gamers — Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer — have received a Grand Slam trophy.
The third-round exit is Djokovic’s worst efficiency at Flushing Meadows; the one different instances he was defeated so early on the US Open had been in 2005 and 2006. The person Djokovic defeated 18 years in the past, Worldwide Tennis Corridor of Fame member Lleyton Hewitt, now captains Australia within the Davis Cup and was sitting in Popyrin’s visitor field at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Djokovic, Popyrin mentioned, “did not play his finest tennis; I used to be ready for him to take a step ahead.”
“I did not wish to be a type of moments the place Novak steps again and comes again from a two-sets-to-love deficit,” Popyrin mentioned. “That was going by my thoughts.”
The 37-year-old Djokovic has reached the ultimate in Ashe ten instances, profitable the title in 2011, 2015, 2018 and 2023.
Nevertheless, on Friday he was listless and emotionally flat, maybe because of residual fatigue after selecting up his first Olympic gold medal for Serbia by beating Alcaraz within the last of the Olympic Video games in Paris earlier in August.
“It undoubtedly had an impact,” Djokovic mentioned. “I put numerous vitality into profitable the gold, and I arrived in New York not feeling mentally and bodily contemporary. However as a result of it is the US Open, I attempted and I did my finest. I imply, I did not have any bodily issues. I simply felt exhausted. And you can see that in the best way I performed.”
The third-seeded Alcaraz entered the US Open as a event favourite after profitable the French Open and Wimbledon and acknowledged his vitality was decrease than he realized after he was knocked out by quantity 74 Botic van de Zandschulp with 6-1, 7-5, 6-4 on Thursday night.
“I awoke this morning and confirmed it to my girlfriend instantly, in shock. It was loopy. These outcomes occur,” mentioned Popyrin, who had by no means set foot on the courtroom at Ashe, a venue with a capability of greater than 23,000, till about 20 minutes earlier than he confronted Djokovic. “I assumed to myself, why not me at the moment?”
Djokovic changed Alcaraz because the money-line decide to win the lads’s title, in response to BetMGM Sports activities BettingHowever that standing didn’t final lengthy. Now the one former US Open males’s champion left earlier than Week 1 is over is Daniil Medvedev, whose solely Slam title got here in 2021. He’ll play No. 31 Flavio Cobolli within the third spherical on Saturday.
For the 25-year-old Popyrin, it marks an actual breakthrough: he had been 0-3 towards Djokovic – together with losses on the Australian Open and Wimbledon this 12 months – and 0-6 in third-round matches at majors.
However the highly effective Popyrin remains to be enjoying in addition to ever. Lower than three weeks in the past, he received the most important title of his profession at a hardcourt event in Montreal, the place he received 5 instances towards opponents ranked within the high 20.
Djokovic had every thing towards him.
Popyrin was very good on the internet, taking 10 out of 10 serve-and-volleys and profitable 25 of the 36 factors total when he pushed ahead. Djokovic, alternatively, received the purpose on solely 19 of his 40 journeys to the web, partly as a result of Popyrin saved throwing passing photographs previous him.
Popyrin made huge cuts along with his highly effective forehand, hitting 22 of his 50 winners with that stroke.
And he broke Djokovic 5 instances, together with a 3-2 lead within the fourth. That recreation felt enormous, lasting greater than 10 minutes and that includes 4 break probabilities for Popyrin, who transformed the final with an inside-out forehand to cap a 22-shot change, then fell again on his heels, clenched each fists and set free a howler. He additionally took Djokovic’s subsequent service recreation, to make it 5-2.
The primary time Popyrin served for the match, he faltered, permitting Djokovic to interrupt. The second time, Popyrin sealed the deal, holding at love when Djokovic despatched a forehand lengthy.
Now Popyrin will attempt to attain his first Grand Slam quarterfinal by No. 20 Frances Tiafoewho superior on Friday with a 4-6, 7-5, 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-3 victory over No. 13 Ben Shelton in a match between two Individuals.
“If he serves nicely, performs nicely, he can beat anybody,” Djokovic mentioned of Popyrin. “Look, Alcaraz is out. I am out. A couple of huge surprises. The draw is getting wider.”
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Defending champion Novak Djokovic is shocked on the US Open, an evening after shedding to Carlos Alcaraz
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