One night after No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz was unexpectedly defeated by unseeded Botic van de Zandschulp in straight sets, No. 2 Novak Djokovic was knocked out by No. 28 seed Alexei Popyrin in the third round at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Popyrin secured the biggest win of his career with a scoreline of 6-4, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4.
“This is incredible,” Popyrin said on the court. “I’ve been in the third round about 15 times in my career, but I’ve never reached the fourth round. To do it against one of the greatest of all time is unbelievable.”
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Djokovic’s 2024 has been unusual by his own high standards, as he fails to win any Grand Slam titles this year, marking his first season without a major since 2017.
It’s also the first year since 2002 that none of the “Big Three” of men’s tennis—Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and the retired Roger Federer—has won a Grand Slam.
Djokovic, who committed 14 double faults and 49 unforced errors, was candid about his performance. “Given how I felt and played from the start of this tournament, reaching the third round is a success,” Djokovic admitted. “I played some of the worst tennis of my career. My serving was by far the worst ever.”
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Djokovic will now wait until 2025 to pursue his 25th Grand Slam singles title, which would be the most in men’s or women’s tennis history. The 37-year-old is targeting next year’s Australian Open for his return.
Popyrin, who entered the match with a 0-3 record against Djokovic, including two losses in Grand Slams this year, saw a breakthrough performance.
The 25-year-old Australian has had a strong season, notably winning his first ATP Masters 1000 title in Montreal earlier this month.
“Third time lucky, I guess,” Popyrin said. “I had my chances in previous matches against Djokovic but didn’t take them. This time I managed to seize my opportunities and played some good tennis.”
In the round of 16, Popyrin will face American No. 20 seed Frances Tiafoe, who won a four-hour, five-set battle against No. 13 seed Ben Shelton earlier Friday.
Popyrin is the second Australian to defeat Djokovic in a Grand Slam and the first to do so before the fourth round at the US Open since Lleyton Hewitt, who beat Djokovic in the third round in 2006.
This marks Djokovic’s earliest exit from a major this year. In January, he fell in the semifinals of the Australian Open, a tournament he has won ten times, to eventual champion Jannik Sinner.
He withdrew from the French Open in June due to a torn meniscus, but returned to Wimbledon, where he lost in the final to Alcaraz.
Djokovic’s only title this year was a gold medal at the Paris Olympics, held at Roland Garros, where he sustained his knee injury.
“I expended a lot of energy winning the gold, and I arrived in New York not feeling fresh mentally and physically,” Djokovic said. “But it’s the US Open, so I gave it my best shot. I’m not dealing with any physical issues; I just felt out of gas.”
