Entering the 2024 US Open, its previous two champions Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic were the betting favorites. Then the tournament lost both of them in its first week, in the span of two days, in a sport where titans rarely fall early.
Djokovic was stunned by No. 28 seed Alexei Popyrin 6-4, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 in the third round on Friday, one day after Alcaraz was bounced from the tournament by unseeded Botic Van de Zandschulp. It was the Serbian star’s earliest elimination from a Grand Slam since the 2017 Australian Open.
The dual upsets leave top seed Jannik Sinner as the favorite to take the US Open title, after having won the 2024 Australian Open earlier this year.
Like with the Alcaraz upset, Djokovic was down a set and a break before it ever really felt like he was in trouble. Popyrin took a close first set by routinely storming the net and making Djokovic beat him. Djokovic, still playing with some unspecific injuries, couldn’t.
Djokovic looked even worse in the second set, before finally waking up in the third and breaking Popyrin on his first chance. He failed to consolidate that break, but did just fine with the next two. Popyrin appeared to hurt himself late in the second set and made plenty of mistakes in the third that screamed of a person trying to converse energy.
There were still some fun points, though.
If Popyrin was conserving energy, it paid off in the fourth set. Tied 2-2, the Australian forced four break points and finally broke through on the last one with a gorgeous crosscourt winner:
The ensuing celebration was loud enough that women’s singles No. 2 seed Aryna Sabalenka, still waiting to take the court at Arthur Ashe Stadium past 11 a.m. local time, copied it in the workout room.
Djokovic got double break point in the next game, but that just gave Popyrin to show his mettle. The next four points: Popyrin forehand winner, Popyrin ace, Popyrin forehand winner, Popyrin ace. Then he broke Djokovic again to all but end the match.
It was an overall ugly match from Djokovic. Whereas Alcaraz fell because he lacked his signature shot-making, Djokovic kept giving away points with 14 double faults, his most ever in a Grand Slam match, and 49 unforced errors. Popyrin had some electric points, but he made enough mistakes himself that a younger — or healthier — Djokovic likely would have made him pay.
Popyrin will advance to face No. 20 Frances Tiafoe in the fourth round, which will be the 25-year-old’s first appearance past the third round in his entire career. He wasn’t an out-of-nowhere upset like van de Zandschulp over Alcaraz, though. Popyrin won the Canadian Open, the last ATP 1000 tournament before the US Open, earlier this month and entered New York City with as much momentum as he’s had in his career.
In Tiafoe, he will get a powerful veteran who survived a five-set, four-hour marathon match against Ben Shelton earlier Friday. But he’s already got a major career highlight.
Novak Djokovic’s wait for a 25th Grand Slam continues
Djokovic’s loss at the US Open means 2024 will be his first year without a Grand Slam win since 2017. He lost to Sinner at the Australian Open, withdrew from the French Open with a knee injury and fell to Alcaraz in the final at Wimbledon.
He at least got to enjoy his first Olympic gold this year, but at 37 years old, it might be time to wonder just how many Slams he has left in him, especially when Alcaraz is only 21 years old and Sinner is 23.
Djokovic will get his next opportunity for a 25th Slam at the Australian Open next year, as well as a chance at an unprecedented 11th title in Melbourne. Only Rafael Nadal has more titles at a single Grand Slam (French Open, 14).
