The reigning US Open men’s singles champion has fallen.
Novak Djokovic’s quest for his historic 25th major title came to a stunning end on Friday night at the hands of Australian Alexei Popyrin, who made his Arthur Ashe Stadium debut by stopping the second-seeded Serbian from winning the tournament for the fifth time with a 6-4, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 victory.
It was the first time in three attempts on hard court that Popyrin had managed to beat Djokovic.
Whether it was timing or circumstance, Popyrin played like a player on the verge of the biggest win of his career.
The 25-year-old generated a plethora of forehand winners, played long rallies and maximised Djokovic’s errors.
Finishing with 129 points to Djokovic’s 127, Popyrin reached the fourth round of the US Open for the first time in his career.
