Every word from Novak Djokovic’s candid US Open press conference after stunning upset
Novak Djokovic reflected with brutal honesty in a revealing press conference after suffering a shock third round defeat to Alexei Popyrin at the 2024 US Open.
The loss saw Djokovic succumb to his earliest Grand Slam exit in over seven years and it means he will end a season without winning a major for the first time since 2017.
Djokovic was beaten 6-4, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 by the in-form Popyrin, who is ranked 28th in the world and won the biggest title of his career at the Montreal Masters earlier this month.
The 37-year-old Serbian was the defending champion at Flushing Meadows and was seeking a record-extending 25th Grand Slam crown.
Along with Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, Djokovic was one of the three strong favourites to win the US Open men’s singles title heading into the event.
Alcaraz exited the New York major the day before Djokovic with a stunning straight-set loss to Botic van de Zandschulp in the second round.
US Open News
Here is everything Djokovic told reporters after his surprise US Open exit.
“I have played some of the worst tennis I have ever played, honestly, serving by far the worst ever.”
Congratulations to him and his team. He definitely played better and deserved to win today. On my end, honestly, the way I felt and the way I played from the beginning of this tournament, third round is a success. I mean, I have played some of the worst tennis I have ever played, honestly, serving by far the worst ever.
“I just felt out of gas and you could see that with the way I played.”
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.
Just from the very beginning, from the first match, I just didn’t find myself at all on this court. It’s all I can say, life moves on. I [will] just try and recalibrate and look for what’s next.
Sitting from a larger perspective, of course I have to be content. It’s hard to see the big perspective right now. You’re just angry and upset that you lost and the way you played and that’s it. But tomorrow is a new day, and I will obviously think about what to do next.
“The draw is opening up. Obviously Sinner is the main favourite.”
I mean, look, he (Popyrin) has just beaten me, the defending champion here, so, I mean, he deserves credit for that and respect. If he serves well, plays well, he can beat anybody. Look, Alcaraz is out, I’m out, you know, some big upsets.
The draw is opening up. Obviously Sinner is the main favourite, but then, you know, [Frances] Tiafoe is there as well as American favourite [Taylor] Fritz. [Alexander] Zverev, you have great guys playing well, and [Andrey] Rublev, [Grigor] Dimitrov in this part of the draw.
Anybody can take it. It’s going to be interesting to see who takes the title in the end.
“I was sick of playing this way and feeling this way. I seemed and felt like an amateur at times.”
Djokovic: I don’t know, to tell you the truth, I have no idea. My game completely fell apart. I’m not fresh… Fast conditions, totally different compared to where I trained and prepared.
I was sick of playing this way and feeling this way. I seemed and felt like an amateur at times. It is a reality, an integral part of sport.
At the Olympics, there was a huge emptying, there was a thought whether I should come here at all, I finished ingloriously, let’s move on.
“The weakest season in terms of results in the last 15 years.”
I had a feeling that I could win the title at RG, but I got injured there. The Wimbledon final. The Olympics was the biggest goal, that’s where I played my best.
If it’s such a year to win only that gold, I accept it, I’ve been waiting for it all my life. The weakest season in terms of results in the last 15 years, that’s how I feel, but that’s how it is.
Just [thinking] about tomorrow and next week. I will return to Belgrade, and I will see how I feel going forward.
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