Novak Djokovic OUT of the US Open in shocking defeat to Alexei Popyrin to conclude first year with no Grand Slam victory since 2017

Novak Djokovic’s US Open title defence is over after Australia’s Alexei Popyrin produced the match of his life to stun the 24-time Grand Slam champion.

It was the 37-year-old’s earliest defeat in New York since 2006, when he was beaten by the man sitting in Popyrin’s box on Arthur Ashe, Lleyton Hewitt.

Popyrin was superb, hitting 15 aces and 50 winners. The 25-year-old ran Djokovic close at Wimbledon in July but, after winning the Canada Open for the biggest title of his career, he went one better with a 6-4, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 victory.

‘It’s unbelievable,’ said Popyrin. ‘I’ve been to the third round about 15 times in my career but I havent been able to get to the fourth. To be able to do it against the greatest of all time…it’s a great feeling.’

Popyrin was clearly superior to Djokovic, who gave a startlingly error-strewn performance. His serve in particular was all over the place, with 15 double faults.

Djokovic works the crowd while playing Alexei Popyrin on day five of the 2024 U.S. Open

Australia’s Alexei Popyrin celebrates after winning a game against Serbia’s Novak Djokovic

One day after Carlos Alcaraz was knocked out here, the man who beat him in the Olympic gold medal match followed him out of the draw. That was a hugely emotional match in Paris and this week we have perhaps seen the toll it took on both men.

This means Djokovic will go through a season without a Grand Slam title for the first time since 2017, when he was hobbled by an elbow injury.

He remains on 24 Grand Slams, level with Margaret Court for the most in history. When he won here last year, his third major of that season, it seemed a foregone conclusion he would go on to leave Court in his rear-view mirror, perhaps even push on towards 30.

But after he was soundly beaten by Jannik Sinner in Australia, injured at Roland Garros, annihilated by Alcaraz in Wimbledon and then schooled by the No28 seed here, it is becoming increasingly likely his Slam count will remain at the round two-dozen.

Of great interest to the locals here in New York is the impact this could potentially have on the American challenge. With the bottom half of the drawn blown wide open by this result, the US trio of Frances Tiafoe – he plays Popyrin next – Taylor Fritz and young Brandon Nakashima should each fancy his chances of making a first Grand Slam final.

What a tournament this is shaping up to be.