Novak Djokovic admits to ‘worst tennis ever’ in shock US Open exit

NEW YORK – Defending champion Novak Djokovic admitted he had played his “worst tennis ever” as he slumped to his earliest exit at the US Open in 18 years on Aug 30, sparking more questions over his long-term future in the sport.

The 37-year-old, a four-time champion in New York, lost 6-4, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 in the third round to 28th-ranked Alexei Popyrin of Australia, leaving him frustratingly short once again of winning a record 25th Grand Slam title.

His defeat, which saw him hit an uncharacteristic 14 double faults and commit 49 unforced errors, means that for the first time since 2017 the Serb will end the season without a Slam title.

“The way I played from the beginning of the tournament... reaching the third round is a success,” said a despondent Djokovic, who remains marooned on 24 Majors with Margaret Court.

“It was just an awful match for me. I mean, I tried so many things, and sometimes that’s an issue...

“You move away from the basics that work. You lose the foundation. You lose the movement, the timing, the rhythm, the tempo, everything, whether it’s a serve or any other shot.

“I have played some of my worst tennis ever.”

He also admitted that the effort and aftermath of winning Olympic gold in Paris just four weeks ago impacted his lacklustre campaign at Flushing Meadows.

“Obviously it had an effect. I spent a lot of energy winning the gold, and I did arrive to New York just not feeling fresh mentally and physically,” he added.

“But, because it’s the US Open, I gave it a shot and I tried my best. I didn’t have physical issues. I just felt out of gas.”

The latest crushing setback comes in a year which saw Jannik Sinner succeed him as Australian Open champion, before Carlos Alcaraz took his French Open crown and swept him off court in the Wimbledon final.

Having defeated Djokovic in the semi-finals in Melbourne, Sinner also took his world No. 1 ranking which the Serb had held for a combined 428 weeks.

A knee injury, which required surgery, then forced the current world No. 2 to withdraw from the French Open on the eve of his quarter-final. Following that, Alcaraz stopped him from from claiming an eighth Wimbledon title.

Djokovic’s US Open loss means that for the first time since 2002, none of the Slams will have been won by any members of the “Big Three” of himself, the absent Rafael Nadal or the retired Roger Federer.

His exit was also another bodyblow to the tournament after Alcaraz was shocked in the second round on Aug 29.

At the end of the day, the only consolation for Djokovic in a frustrating year was winning Olympic gold.

He described that emotion-fuelled victory over Alcaraz in Paris as his “greatest achievement” as he became just the sixth player to complete the Golden Slam of four Slams and Olympic gold.

That title – the 99th of his career – may turn out to be his last defining moment in the sun.

If he were to keep playing into 2025 and secure an 11th Australian Open crown in January, he would be the oldest male Slam champion of the modern era.

“Life moves on,” added the Serb. “I’ll try and recalibrate and look for what’s next. Tomorrow is a new day.”

While the talk was all about Djokovic, Popyrin believed that he “played some good tennis”.

“To be in the fourth round of a Grand Slam by beating the greatest of all time is unbelievable,” he said.

He next faces Frances Tiafoe, who beat fellow American Ben Shelton 4-6, 7-5, 6-7 (5-7), 6-4, 6-3.

In the women’s draw, defending champion Coco Gauff survived a big scare to advance.

The American had conceded only six games across the opening two rounds but came under immediate pressure from Elina Svitolina, as she dropped the first set to the Ukrainian before rebooting to complete a 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 victory.

Aryna Sabalenka, the 2023 runner-up, also overcame a shaky start for a 2-6, 6-1, 6-2 win over Ekaterina Alexandrova. AFP, REUTERS