Novak Djokovic expressed his disappointment over what he termed as some of his “poorest tennis ever played”, following his unexpected exit at the US Open. He found himself to be the second major upset in the tournament, next to Carlos Alcaraz who was surprisingly defeated by 76th seed Botic van De Zandschulp.
Djokovic, the defending champion, encountered defeat at the hands of 28th seed Alexei Popyrin, who scored 6-4 6-4 2-6 6-4 in the third round, causing Djokovic to prematurely exit the tournament in New York. This loss signifies Djokovic’s first failure to clinch a grand slam title since 2017 and marks his earliest departure from a major since the same year’s Australian Open.
This extends the drought for the Serbian player in his pursuit to break the record with his 25th grand slam title. At 37 years of age, this could indicate the waning of his reign in the sport.
In a self-critical analysis of his performance, Djokovic bluntly stated that his opponent deserved the victory. He acknowledged that with a poor service, multiple double faults, and low first-serve percentages, a win was out of his grasp. He confessed that his play at the start of the tournament was tremendously lacking, and thus he considered the reach to the third round as an achievement in itself.
Anticipating a tough battle at Flushing Meadows considering his emotionally exhausting Olympic victory, coupled with his lack of a hard court match since March, Djokovic still couldn’t hide his discontentment over the “atrocious match” he played.
In light of recent events in New York, it is not astonishing that the trio of athletes who claimed top honours in Paris also made an early exit. This includes Alcaraz and bronze winner Lorenzo Musetti.
Djokovic confessed candidly, “The outcome was foreseen. Extensive energy was exhausted in capturing the gold, which left me mentally and physically drained upon my arrival in New York. Despite these circumstances and the intensity associated with the US Open, I tried to give it my all. It was not physical issues that held me back but rather I felt depleted. This was clearly reflected in my performance.”
This was a landmark victory for Popyrin and marked his third attempt to best Djokovic after unsuccessful tries at both the Australian Open and Wimbledon. An interesting parallel can be drawn as Popyrin’s victory resulted in Djokovic’s earliest US Open departure since 2007 when he was defeated by Lleyton Hewitt, who happened to be in Popyrin’s corner during the match.
Popyrin found motivation in Van De Zandschulp’s victory over Alcaraz. Speaking about the experience, the Australian said, “I was actually asleep, so I didn’t watch the match. However, when I awoke this morning, I immediately showed my girlfriend as it was so unexpected. It was unbelievable. Seeing those results made me think, why not me today?” He further added, “It was one of my best matches in terms of my composure and tactical strategy.”
Popyrin continued, “There have been multiple instances where Novak has made a comeback after being two sets down. I didn’t want to be one of those moments where Novak kind of stepped up and came back. That was a constant thought in my mind.”
In women’s singles, the reigning champion Coco Gauff showed resilience to overcome Elina Svitolina 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Gauff’s confrontation with Svitolina was her first real challenge of the tournament, where she had an unnerving start. Nonetheless, she kept her cool to secure the final win. Gauff proudly stated, “This victory holds a great significance. I was aware it was going to be an intense match as Elina is a determined competitor.”
“I was conscious that it was critical for me to deliver an outstanding performance in the tennis match. I believe my performance was commendable. My service was distinctively improved from the previous game, despite falling short in the final service. All things considered, I am pleased with what I achieved.” – PA