US Open: Novak Djokovic laments ‘worst tennis I ever played’ in stunning third-round exit
Serb could not shake off the early rust and struggled with his serve, ending the year without a major title for the first time since 2017
Novak Djokovic slumped to his earliest exit at the US Open in 18 years as a four-set, third round defeat to Alexei Popyrin sparked 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 to the 28th-ranked Australian, 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 he will end the season without a grand slam title.
“I played some of the worst tennis I have ever played, honestly,” Djokovic said. “Serving – by far – the worst ever
“It was just an awful match for me. I wasn’t playing even close to my best. It’s not good to be in that kind of state where you feel OK physically, and of course you’re motivated because it’s a grand slam, but you just are not able to find your game.
“That’s it. The game is falling apart, and I guess you have to accept that tournaments like this happen.”
