Just over three weeks after claiming Olympic gold in Paris, prolific tennis champion Novak Djokovic suffered an unexpected defeat in the third round of the U.S. Open to Alexei Popyrin. This outcome places him at risk of concluding the 2024 tennis season without a Tour-level title for the first time since 2005, a stark contrast to his self-declared “greatest achievement” of his career at the Olympics. As a 24-time major winner, Djokovic typically demands nothing less than victory at all times, thus signaling a potential decline at the age of 37. Despite not reaching the end of his Grand Slam relevance, his sporadic player performance appears to be the new normal.
Djokovic’s loss to Popyrin follows a string of other defeats to up-and-coming players including Alejandro Tabilo, Tomas Machac, and Luca Nardi. His more stark losses were to his fiercest rivals, Jannik Sinner in Australia and Carlos Alcaraz at Wimbledon, both of which were heavily in his opponents’ favor. While his ability to reach the Wimbledon finals post-knee surgery showcases Djokovic’s continuing prowess in major tournaments, his embarrassingly swift defeat to Alcaraz suggests that his losing games have the potential to spiral quickly.
Following his exit in New York, Djokovic acknowledged his poor performance during the U.S. Open, stating that he had played some of the “worst tennis” in his career. His service motion post-surgery has been clumsy, leading to unstable landings and increased struggle in making his first serves. His draining Olympic victory and subsequent lack of rest before arriving in New York were also cited as contributing factors to his physical and mental exhaustion during the games.
Despite these challenges, Djokovic’s failure to reignite his energy against Popyrin during the game was noticeable. His usually fiery demeanor was replaced with a lackluster presence, marked by silence during easily winnable games and half-hearted interactions with the crowd. Even when his opponent showed signs of weakness, Djokovic failed to lean into his historical momentum to secure a dominant four-set victory.
As his Grand Slam season concludes, Djokovic’s Olympic win might be viewed as a mere distraction from an overall lackluster year. While winning the Gold at 37 is undoubtedly an enormous accomplishment, exacerbating circumstances such as a knee injury and a foul ball incident in Rome have prevented Djokovic from reaching his usual heights. His defeat to Popyrin wasn’t a major shock like his 2016 loss to Sam Querrey at Wimbledon, but more in line with his recent performance.
Looking ahead to 2025, Djokovic remains determined to reclaim his dominance at the Australian Open. Despite his disappointing performance in 2024, the accomplished player expressed contentment when asked to consider his career from a larger perspective. Djokovic’s ability to adjust his aspirations in the coming years will be a key narrative in the tennis world, offering insights into the mindset of this sports giant as he faces an evolving competitive landscape.
