Unprecedented Shakeup at US Open: Popyrin Defeats Djokovic

Just 24 hours after Carlos Alcaraz was handed his earliest exit at the US Open, No. 2 seed Novak Djokovic lost to No. 28 seed Alexei Popyrin, 6-4, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4, in the third round on the same court. Djokovic, a defending champion on a quest for a record-breaking 25th major title, was beaten in a prime-time night match Friday at Arthur Ashe Stadium by the 25-year-old Australian, whom few thought had a chance.

Djokovic, who had knee surgery in June, took the defeat hard, calling his performance "awful" and "some of the worst tennis" he had ever played. The loss marked the conclusion of his Slam season without a title for the first time since 2017. This is the first season a player from the Big Three (Djokovic, Nadal, Federer) didn't win a major trophy since 2002. It's been a surprising first week at the tournament, with the men's title now very much up for grabs. Predictions going forward could be tricky given the unexpected shakeup.

One of the most anticipated third rounds is world No. 1 Jannik Sinner. Despite the scrutiny of his two positive tests for a banned substance and initial uncertainty how he would fare, has steadily advanced into the third round and could continue to shift the tournament's trajectory.