Popyrin Stuns Djokovic at US Open | ATP Tour

Match Report

Popyrin Stuns Djokovic at US Open

Serbian ends a season without a Grand Slam title for the first time since 2017

August 31, 2024

Australian Alexei Popyrin unleashed his brand of Big-Man Tennis to stun Novak Djokovic at the US Open Friday night, ousting the defending champion 6-4, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 on the back of 50 winners.

Djokovic was the partial author of his own demise, serving a career-high 14 double faults in a Grand Slam match, including four to hand Popyrin a double break at 5-2 in the fourth set. That insurance break proved crucial as the Australian was broken in his first attempt to serve out the match but closed it out two games later.

It was the second shocking upset in as many days on Arthur Ashe Stadium, following World No. 74 Botic van de Zandschulp’s straight-sets win over 2022 champion Carlos Alcaraz in the second round.

“Third time lucky [this year] I guess,” Popyrin said. “Honestly, we had some battles at the Australian Open and Wimbledon. I had my chances in those matches, but didn’t take them. This match was a little different. I was able to take my chances when I had them and played some good tennis.”

“It’s unbelievable because I’ve been in the third round about 15 times in my career, but I haven’t been able to get past to the fourth round,” Popyrin said. “To be able to do it against the greatest of all time to get into the fourth round is unbelievable. It’s a great feeling and the hard work has paid off.”

Asked in press if his singular focus on winning Olympic gold in Paris had taken a toll, Djokovic said: “Obviously it has an effect. I spent a lot of energy winning the gold and I did arrive in New York not feeling fresh. I tried my best, I didn’t have any physical issues. I just felt out of gas, and you could see that. From the first match I just didn’t find myself on this court.

“Life moves on. I’ll try to recalibrate and look forward to what’s next.”

With the biggest win of his career to date, Popyrin ended Djokovic’s hopes of winning a record-extending 25th Grand Slam men’s singles title and 100th career title. Popyrin pushed Djokovic to four sets at the Australian Open and Wimbledon earlier this year, but came into Friday night’s match with an 0-3 Lexus ATP Head2Head record against the legend.

This will be an August to remember for the 25-year-old Aussie, who was also the surprise winner of the ATP Masters 1000 event in Montreal earlier this month. With that win, the current No. 28 jumped to a career-high No. 23 in the PIF ATP Rankings as he defeated five Top 20 players on his way to the title.

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The last time Djokovic ended a season without a Grand Slam triumph was 2017. Not since 2002 has a season gone by without a member of the Big Three (Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal) winning a major.

Popyrin will now face home favourite No. 20 Frances Tiafoe in his first fourth-round appearance at the US Open. This will be the pair’s first meeting in the Lexus ATP Head2Head series. Tiafoe beat compatriot and last year’s semi-finalist No. 13 Ben Shelton 4-6, 7-5, 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-3 in a marathon match on Arthur Ashe earlier on Friday.

The defeat was Djokovic’s earliest loss at a major since a second-round exit at the 2017 Australian Open at the hands of Denis Istomin. It was also his earliest departure from the US Open since he bowed out in the same round to Lleyton Hewitt in 2006.