Novak Djokovic blames “some of the worst tennis” he played for defeat against Alexei Popyrin in US Open R3

Following his third-round exit, Novak Djokovic has opined that he played some of the worst tennis of his career at the 2024 US Open.

Novak Djokovic blames “some of the worst tennis” he played for defeat against Alexei Popyrin in US Open R3

Novak Djokovic (Image via X)

Serbian tennis legend Novak Djokovic was shocked by Australian Alexei Popyrin in their third-round clash at the 2024 US Open. The 24-time Grand Slam champion lost to Popyrin 4-6, 4-6, 6-2, 3-6 and made an early exit from the year’s last Grand Slam.

Djokovic made quite a few double faults and struggled big time with his serves. After the match, he stated that he played some of the worst tennis of his career at the tournament this year. The Serbian opined he was not in great form since the start of his campaign in New York.

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Congrats to him and his team. He played better and deserved to win. Honestly with the way I felt and played from the start of the tournament, round 3 is a success. I played some of the worst tennis I’ve ever played. Serving by far some of the worst ever. On a quick surface like this, you can’t win without a serve. You can’t win against the guys who are in form like Alexei. It was just an awful match from me.
Novak Djokovic said at a press conference

Notably, Djokovic registered a whopping 32 double faults in his three matches in the US Open this year, including 14 against Popyrin — his record high for a Grand Slam match. The 24-time major champion even dropped serve five times against the Australian, which resulted in his defeat.

Novak Djokovic blames fatigue for his dismal show at 2024 US Open

Novak Djokovic further elaborated on the reasons for his early exit from the 2024 US Open. He explained that he put a lot of energy into winning the gold medal at the Paris Olympics and that he arrived in New York both physically and mentally tired.

Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic (Image via Imago)

Djokovic, who pulled off one of the biggest wins of his career on clay at the Summer Games in Paris, felt that the change of surfaces also did not work in his favor. However, he was happy about giving the event a shot despite not feeling his best. 

It's a different surface. 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. But because it's [the] US Open, I gave it a shot and I tried my best. I didn't have any physical issues. I just felt out of gas and you could see that with the way I played.
Novak Djokovic said (H/T: ATP Tour)

With this exit from the US Open, Djokovic’s dream to land a 25th Major title was shattered. He was hoping to defend his crown in New York and become the player with the most Grand Slam titles in tennis history. He will now turn his attention to the three big tournaments left in the season — Shanghai Masters (October 2-13), Paris Masters (October 28 to November 3), and the ATP Finals (November 10-17).

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