Though he has found the majority of his Grand Slam triumphs in Melbourne and London, Novak Djokovic has enjoyed plenty of success at the US Open over the years.
He first reached the final at Flushing Meadows in 2007, where, despite the then-20-year-old’s best efforts, he was beaten by three-time defending champion Roger Federer in straight sets.
After three more seasons of knocking on the door in New York, he finally hoisted the title in 2011, defeating Rafael Nadal in the championship match.
The Serb went on to tally three more US Open crowns, the most recent of which came in 2023, when Djokovic tied Margaret Court’s all-time record for the most Grand Slam titles of any man or woman, with 24.
His title defence the following year, however, was short-lived, and he recorded his worst finish at the tournament in nearly two decades.
Novak Djokovic’s failed US Open title defence in 2024
Djokovic kicked off his 2024 US Open campaign with a comfortable first-round victory over Radu Albot, overcoming the Moldovan star in straight sets.
His second clash in the Big Apple ended with a walkover, when his opponent, Serbian compatriot Laslo Djere, was forced to retire due to injury after going two sets down.
In the third round, Djokovic met Alexei Popyrin for the fourth time in his career, having defeated the Australian in their three previous meetings.
| Match | Winner |
|---|---|
| 2024 Wimbledon Round of 32 | Djokovic |
| 2024 Australian Open Round of 64 | Djokovic |
| 2019 Japan Open Round of 32 | Djokovic |
Popyrin was fresh off winning a maiden ATP Masters 1000 at the Canadian Open, and enjoyed a strong start to his US Open run after advancing to round three without dropping a set.
In his match with Djokovic, the 28th seed was quick off the blocks, drawing first blood and taking a two-set lead.
The legend fought back and took the third in convincing fashion, winning by six games to two.
It wasn’t to be for Djokovic, however, who fell to Popyrin in the fourth and final set, marking his worst result at the US Open since his third-round exit in 2006.
Alexei Popyrin’s results at majors since the 2024 US Open
After knocking out the second seed, Popyrin earned his best finish at a Grand Slam to date, but lost his next match at the tournament to eventual finalist Frances Tiafoe.
Since then, he has yet to surpass his fourth-round finish at the 2024 US Open, but managed to match it at Roland Garros this year.
Following his first-round disappointment at the Australian Open, Popyrin came close to reaching the quarterfinals of a major for the first time in Paris, but was denied the feat by Tommy Paul.
At Wimbledon, he joined the long list of seeded stars to bow out in the early stages of the championships when he lost to British home hope Arthur Fery.
Now Popyrin will set his sights on his 2025 US Open singles campaign, in which he will hope to start strong in his opening matchup against Emil Ruusuvuori.
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