Does Djokovic’s defeat mark the end of the golden generation’s era of dominance?

Novak Djokovic waves to the crowd as he leaves the court following his US Open third-round loss to Alexei Popyrin on Friday. His loss means that, for the first time in 22 years, the season’s Grand Slam honours list will not include any of the “Big Three”.

For the first time in 22 years, none of the “Big Three” will be on the roll of honour at this Grand Slam tournament, after Novak Djokovic was knocked out of the US Open for the first time since 2006.

The 24-time Grand Slam winner suffered a shocking defeat in the third round to Alexei Popyrin, marking the first season in seven years the Serbian star has not won a Grand Slam title.

“I played one of the worst tennis matches I’ve ever played,” a disappointed Djokovic admitted after his title defence in New York was abruptly ended by his opponent, who is ranked 28th.

It also raised questions about the 37-year-old’s long-term future in the sport and the finish line for the golden generation of tennis players that includes Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and the retired Roger Federer.

When Federer captured the Wimbledon title in 2003, it was the first of 66 Grand Slams won by the Big Three from the 84 tournaments played leading up to Wimbledon this year.

Federer retired in 2022 after winning 20 majors.

Nadal, now 38, has won 22 Grand Slams, most recently in 2022, when he won the French Open for the 14th time.

A series of injuries has seen the Spanish star play just four games in 2023, winning just once. This year, he has played 19, 12 of which were victories.

This season, he was defeated in the first round for the first time in his career at Roland Garros, after which he skipped Wimbledon.

Nadal has not played a singles match since losing to Djokovic in the second round of the Olympic Games.

He is expected to return next month at the Laver Cup in Berlin. With his ranking now down to 154 in the world, there will inevitably be speculation that he will follow Federer’s example and use that event to withdraw.

The 37-year-old Djokovic has a record 24 Grand Slams to his name, but unfortunately he has not managed to equal the mark set by Australian Margaret Court.

If he were to achieve that goal next January at the Australian Open, he would become the oldest Grand Slam champion of the modern era.

“I have to draw a line,” Djokovic said. “You’re just angry and upset that you lost and the way you played, and that’s it.

“But you know, tomorrow is a new day, and then of course I’m going to think about what I’m going to do now.”

Djokovic’s turbulent year saw him lose his Australian Open title to Jannik Sinner, which also ended the Serbian’s world number 1 position, a status he enjoyed for a total of 428 weeks.

Carlos Alcaraz, 16 years his junior, succeeded him as Roland Garros champion after Djokovic withdrew from the quarter-finals due to a knee injury that required surgery.

Alcaraz then swept the Serb off the court to defend his Wimbledon title.

Djokovic quickly gained revenge for that loss by winning Olympic gold in Paris, which he described as his “greatest achievement”.

The problem for Djokovic, who turns 38 next May, is that his aura of invincibility has disappeared.

Popyrin was so unsurprised by his victory on Friday that he described his recent win at the Montreal Masters as “much bigger” than beating a player widely regarded as the best of all time.

For Djokovic, it is a comfort to know that the US Open often produces surprise winners at the end of a long season.

Since 2000, the tournament has seen 14 different male champions, and no man has won the title twice in a row since Federer won his fifth consecutive US Open in 2008.

Djokovic and 2022 champion Alcaraz, who was also knocked out in the second round this week, appeared exhausted by their emotional experience at the Olympics.

Both admitted their preparations for New York could have been better, a factor not lost on his rivals.

“If I did what he did after a gold medal, I would just stay in Serbia, chill and drink like crazy,” said American star Frances Tiafoe.

“That’s why he is who he is, right? I really like that guy. Yeah, man, 37, you want to come back here? That’s crazy, but hey, man, to each his own.”