Defending champion Novak Djokovic admitted he had played his "worst tennis ever" as he slumped to his earliest exit at the US Open in 18 years on Aug 30, sparking more questions over his long-term future in the sport.
The 37-year-old, a four-time champion in New York, lost 6-4, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 in the third round to 28th-ranked Alexei Popyrin of Australia, leaving him frustratingly short once again of winning a record 25th Grand Slam title.
His defeat, which saw him hit an uncharacteristic 14 double faults and commit 49 unforced errors, means that for the first time since 2017 the Serb will end the season without a Slam title.
"The way I played from the beginning of the tournament... reaching the third round is a success," said a despondent Djokovic, who remains marooned on 24 Majors with Margaret Court.
"It was just an awful match for me. I mean, I tried so many things, and sometimes that's an issue...
"You move away from the basics that work. You lose the foundation.
You lose the movement, the timing, the rhythm, the tempo, everything, whether it's a serve or any other shot.
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