Novak Djokovic was eliminated in the third round of the US Open - the Serbian tennis player ended his performance in New York after losing to Aleksej Popirin 3:1 (6:4, 6:4, 2:6, 6:4).
Djokovic ends the season without winning a Grand Slam, for the first time since 2017, and after the match he said that he played very badly during the tournament in New York.
"Congratulations to Popirin and his team. He played better and deserved to win. Honestly, considering how I felt and played since the start of the tournament... the third round is a success. I played some of the worst tennis of my life. Serve me was by far the worst... On a fast surface like this, you can't win without serving. You can't win against guys who are in shape like Aleksej. This was a terrible match for me..." said Djokovic after the match.
The Serbian tennis player had 14 double service faults.
"My game completely fell apart. I'm not fresh... Fast conditions, totally different compared to where I trained and prepared. It was sickening for me to play this way and feel this way. I acted and felt like an amateur at times. That's reality, an integral part of the sport. There was a huge discharge at the Olympics, there was a thought whether I should come here at all, I finished ingloriously, let's move on", explained Đoković.
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Djokovic ends the season without winning a Grand Slam.
"I had the feeling that I could win the title at Roland Garros, but I got hurt there. The Wimbledon final is the greatest success. The weakest season in terms of results in the last 15 years, that's how I feel, but that's how it is," said Djokovic.
He admits that by winning the gold in Paris, he achieved his goal.
"The Olympic Games were 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," Đoković pointed out.
Journalists also asked Djokovic who is the favorite for the title at the US Open.
"Popirin beat the defending champion, he deserves praise and respect for that. If he can serve well, play well, he can beat anyone. Look, Alcaras is out, me too, you know, those are big surprises. The draw is opening. Obviously, Siner is the favorite, but Tijafo is also there, as well as the American favorite, Rublev and Dimitrov are also part of this group. It will be interesting to see who will take it title at the end," concluded Djokovic.
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