Sports News of Saturday, 31 August 2024
Source: BBC
Defending US Open champion Novak Djokovic suffered a surprising third-round exit, losing to Australia's Alexei Popyrin 6-4, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4.
Djokovic, aiming for a record 25th Grand Slam title, struggled with 14 double faults and 49 unforced errors, marking his earliest US Open exit in 18 years.
Popyrin, who recently won his first ATP Masters 1000 title, will face Frances Tiafoe in the fourth round.
Djokovic admitted to playing some of his worst tennis, attributing his defeat to mental and physical exhaustion after his Olympic gold win.