by By entering the US 2024 open, its two previous champions Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic were the favorites of the bets. Then, the tournament lost them both in its first week, in the space of two days, in a sport where the titans rarely fall against non-titans.
Djokovic was amazed by the seeded n ° 28 Alexei Popyrin 6-4, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 in the third round Friday, a day after Alcaraz was rebounded by the tournament by Botic Van de Zandschulp. It was the first elimination of the Serbian star of a Grand Colem since the 2017 Australian Open.
The two upheavals leave the seeded Jannik Sinner as the favorite to win the US Open title, after winning the Australian Open 2024 earlier this year.
It also means that US Open 2024 will be the first Grand Chelem without Djokovic, Rafael Nadal or Roger Federer in the round of 16 since the 2004 France Open, while Djokovic was 17 years old (by Espn). It is a sequence of 81 tournaments.
This year will also be the first time since 2002 that no member of the Big 3 has won a slam.
Alexei Popyrin won him against Novak Djokovic
As with the upheaval of Alcaraz, Djokovic was down and a break before he really feels as in difficulty. Popyrin took a set up closely by regularly storming the net and having Djokovic beat him. Djokovic, always playing with non -specific injuries, could not.
Djokovic looked even worse in the second set, before finally waking up in the third and breaking the popyrine when he first chance. He failed to consolidate this break, but worked very well with the following two. Popyrin seemed to be injured late in the second set and made a lot of mistakes in the third who shouted from a person trying to keep the energy.
There were still fun points, however.
If the popyrine kept the energy, it borne fruit in the fourth set. Assated 2-2, the Australian forced four break points and finally pierced the last with a magnificent winner of Crosscourt:
The celebration that followed was noisy enough for women’s seeded n ° 2 Aryna Sabalenka, still waiting to take the court at the Arthur Ashe stadium after Midnight, local time, copied him to the training room.
Djokovic obtained the double break point in the next match, but it just gave Popyrin the opportunity to show his courage. The following four points: The winner of Popyrin Fordehand, Popyrin Ace, Popyrin Forwand Winner, Popyrin Ace. Then he broke Djokovic again except ending the match.
It was a global ugly match of Djokovic. While Alcaraz fell because he lacked his shooting signature, Djokovic continued to give points with 14 double flaws, his never in a Grand Slam match and 49 uncompvious mistakes. The Popyrin had electrical points, but he made enough mistakes himself for a younger djokovic – or healthier – probably made him pay.
Popyrin will advance to face the n ° 20 Frances Tiafoe in the fourth round, which will be the first appearance of the 25 -year -old woman after the third round of a great slam in her entire career. It was not an upheaval out of day like Van de Zandschulp on Alcaraz, however. Popyrin won the Canadian Open, a US Open development event, earlier this month and entered New York City with as much momentum as he did in his career.
In Tiafoe, he will get a powerful veteran who survived a five -hour marathon match against Ben Shelton earlier on Friday. But he already has a strong career moment.
Waiting for Novak Djokovic for a 25th Grand Slam continues
The defeat of Djokovic at the US Open Middle 2024 will be his first year without a victory at the Grand Chelem since 2017. He lost against Sinner at the Australian Open, withdrew from the French Open with a knee injury and fell to Alcaraz in the final in Wimbledon.
Djokovic was at least able to take advantage of his first Olympic gold this year in Paris, but at 37, he could be time to wonder how many slams he left him, especially when Alcaraz is only 21 years old and that the sinner is 23 years old.
Djokovic will have its next opportunity for a 25th slam at Australian Open next year, as well as a chance in an unprecedented 11th title in Melbourne. Only Rafael Nadal has more titles in a single Grand Slam (French Open, 14).
