Djokovic: "This US Open has been a mental battle from the beginning"

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Novak Djokovic has fallen in the first week of a Grand Slam. This is a statement that we rarely can write; the last time, specifically, was in January 2017, providing enough perspective when analyzing his surprising defeat at the hands of Alexei Popyrin in the third round of the US Open 2024. And if the defeat from the outside seems quite harsh, the Serbian's words in the press conference add more weight to the quote: Nole reflected his disappointment with his level when speaking to the media, making it very clear that he felt uncomfortable from the beginning of the tournament and unwilling to analyze in depth the role that his Olympic victory has played in his performances in New York.

- What was lacking to achieve victory today

"I must congratulate Alexei and his team. He played much better and deserved to win today. For my part, sincerely, considering how I have felt and played since the beginning of the tournament, the third round is a success. It has been one of the worst levels of tennis I have ever played, and the serving level, by far, has been the worst ever. If you play on a fast surface like this without your serve, without the ability to win free points, with a very low first serve percentage, with many double faults... then you cannot win. You cannot win, especially against guys who are in great form like Alexei, who is serving at a high level, putting a lot of pressure on your service games. Yes, it has been a horrible match on my part."

- What has been the process since winning the Olympic gold until now: Too many things since achieving that milestone?

"I couldn't tell you. Maybe, perhaps. But this is a different surface. Obviously, that has played a role. I used a lot of energy to win the gold and arrived in New York not feeling too mentally and physically fresh. But of course, it's the US Open, I wanted to give myself a chance and give my best. I haven't had physical issues, I just felt drained, and it showed in how I played. From the start, from the first match, I haven't found myself on the court. That's all I can say for now. Life goes on, now it's time to recalibrate and think about what's coming."

- Things you tried to do to stop Popyrin's level

"I tried many things, and sometimes that's a problem, the fact of getting away from the fundamentals of your game that work. You lose the foundation of your tennis. You lose mobility, timing, rhythm, everything, whether it's with the serve or any other shot. The three matches I've played here have been a tremendous mental struggle because I wasn't playing anywhere near my best level. It's not positive to feel like this, feeling good physically and motivated because it's a Grand Slam, but simply unable to find your game. That's it. Your game falls apart, and I suppose you have to accept that tournaments like this can happen. You could argue that it's because of the Olympics, but I don't know. I don't want to analyze that right now. My plan was to improve my tennis on a daily basis here, but I haven't achieved it."

- About Popyrin's level and if he can be a title contender or not yet

"I'm not quite sure how to take that question. He just beat me, the defending champion here, so he deserves all the credit in the world and respect for that. If he serves well and plays well, he can beat anyone. Alcaraz is out, I'm out too, there have been big surprises. The draw is opening up. Sinner is the top favorite, but you also have names like Tiafoe, a local favorite along with Fritz; Zverev, also guys playing well in this part of the draw like Rublev or Dimitrov... anyone can take it. It will be interesting to see who takes the title."

- A rare defeat, he rarely loses in the first week of a Grand Slam: Is that a fact you appreciate over time?

"It's clear that right off the court, the bitterness you have in your mouth is bitter. Despite having many more victories than defeats in this tournament and any other, you don't like to lose. You have to draw the line, of course. If you look at it from a more global perspective, of course, I should be happy. However, right now it's hard to see that big picture. You're angry and upset about having lost and about how you played, that's it. Tomorrow is a new day though, and I will think about what I can do next."

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Djokovic: "Este US Open ha sido una lucha mental desde el principio"