The US Open has already seen several high-profile casualties as it enters the final day of the first week. The trophy will have a new name this year after defending champion Novak Djokovic was dumped out in the third round during the early hours of Saturday morning.
Djokovic’s defeat by the hugely impressive Alexei Popyrin followed Carlos Alcaraz’s dismal second-round loss to Botic van de Zandschulp. Both players seemed tired of a long summer which including gruelling campaigns at Wimbledon and the Olympics.
Jannik Sinner avoided the curse of the top players by comfortably seeing off Chris O’Connell. The Italian will now be considered a strong favourite to take home the men’s singles title in New York.
Express Sport takes you through the top stories throughout the day in our LIVE blog, below…
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26 mins ago15: 17 Yasmin Syed
Swiatek starstruck by SerenaSerena Williams was back at the US Open as a spectator on Saturday and is expected to be back at Flushing Meadows again today.
She was seen speaking to Iga Swiatek in the locker room. And the world No. 1 confessed that Williams initiated the conversation because she is still starstruck by the 23-time Grand Slam champion.
“It’s nice that she came on-site and she was chatting with the players, because for me, yeah, I still felt, even though we met before and for like couple of years we have been on the same sides and on tour together, she’s still like star-striking me,” Swiatek smiled.
“It was nice that she approach me, because I wouldn’t, for sure, find courage to do that if it was the other way. But, yeah, she’s really nice and really positive. I’m happy that she’s following tennis, you know, and, like, my game, because she told me that she’s cheering for me. It’s always nice to hear that from somebody like Serena.”
Serena Williams caught up with Iga Swiatek (Image: @USOpen)
45 mins ago14: 58 Sam Smith
US Open star frustrated with ball girlYulia Putintseva seemed frustrated with a ball girl during her defeat against Jasmine Paolini at the US Open.
The Kazakhstani player appeared to want the balls thrown to her a little quicker.
Putintseva then stood still as the balls were thrown in her direction, allowing them to bounce away.
The crowd booed the 29-year-old.
Ugly moment in the Putintseva vs Paolini match at the US Open.
The ball girl tries tossing the ball and Yulia watches it bounce on the ground without moving.
So many ball kids look up to these athletes. Let’s try to treat them kinder.
(via @MerThomp)pic.twitter.com/WaVzNcbb6R
u2014 The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) September 1, 2024 2 hours ago13: 52 Sam Smith
Who could take advantage of Alcaraz and Djokovic exits?The US Open exits of Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic have opened the path to a new winner.
Jannik Sinner will consider himself the favourite, hoping to win his second Grand Slam of the year.
There will also be Daniil Medvedev waiting in the wings.
Could Jack Draper move himself into the mix, too? It would be a remarkable story in his first Grand Slam since Andy Murray’s retirement.
3 hours ago12: 48 Sam Smith
US Open star criticised for taking controversial pointRennae Stubbs has criticised Beatriz Haddad Maia for taking the controversial point against Anna Kalinskaya.
She wrote: “I played 22 years of professional tennis and knew if i got to a ball or not, if i double hit a half volley or not, if a ball hit me before going out or not!
“So to take a point when you don’t deserve it and know the truth, is pretty.”
The post included four thumbs-down emojis.
I played 22 years of professional tennis and knew if i got to a ball or not, if i double hit a half volley or not, if a ball hit me before going out or not! So to take a point when you donu2019t deserve it and know the truth, is pretty ud83dudc4eud83cudffcud83dudc4eud83cudffcud83dudc4eud83cudffcud83dudc4eud83cudffc!!
u2014 Rennae Stubbs u2648ufe0f (@rennaestubbs) September 1, 2024 5 hours ago11: 04 Sam Smith
Anna Kalinskaya left stunned by umpire’s decisionAnna Kalinskaya was left stunned by a bizarre umpire decision during her US Open defeat against Beatriz Haddad Maia.
The Russian was dismayed when Miriam Bley concluded that Haddad Maia had reached a ball before it bounced twice, seemingly despite evidence to the contrary.
Kalinskaya called for a video review during the third game of the first set. She was sure that her shot had bounced twice before Haddad Maia reached the ball and returned it over the net.
German official Bley had seen the situation differently with the naked eye, and awarded the point to the Brazilian. She believed that Haddad Maia had reached the ball before it bounced.
Video footage of the incident appeared to agree with Kalinskaya. A slow-motion replay from one angle showed several times to Bley seemed to conclusively depict Kalinskaya’s shot bouncing twice before Haddad Maia reached it.
Much to the surprise of everyone watching, Bley insisted Haddad Maia had reached the ball in time.
A gobsmacked Kalinskaya walked towards the umpire’s chair and began protesting, gesturing to the ground and then to the racket to portray what she had seen.
Anna Kalinskaya was stunned by the umpire’s decision (Image: Getty)
5 hours ago10: 19 Sam Smith
What’s on today?The best action today comes in the form of an all-American clash on Arthur Ashe in the women’s singles.
Emma Navarro takes on Coco Gauff, who has reached all four fourth-round matches at Grand Slams this year.
Paula Badosa is also on court earlier in the day, facing Wang Yafan.
Aryna Sabalenka closes out the day’s action against Elise Mertens.
In the men’s singles, Casper Ruud faces Taylor Fritz.
7 hours ago09: 11 Sam Smith
Novak Djokovic admits to ‘awful’ US Open performanceNovak Djokovic admitted he played an ‘awful’ match against Alexei Popyrin.
The Serb struggled to get any rhythm against the Australian and was beaten in four sets.
“If you play on a quick surface like this without the serve, without [the] ability to win free points there, very low first-serve percentage, many double faults, then you can’t win,” Djokovic said.
“You can’t win, especially against the guys who are in form like Alexei who is serving big, puts a lot of pressure on your service game. Yeah, it was just an awful match for me.”
7 hours ago08: 30 Sam Smith
Dan Evans provides X-rated response after humbling lossDan Evans refused to retire at the US Open despite illness and a hip injury and insisted: “I don’t give a fif the scores says 6-0 6-0.”
The British No 5 played the longest match in US Open history in the first round.
And that gruelling affair caught up with him against Alex De Minaur.
He took a pill on court and needed treatment during the third set, ultimately losing 6-3 6-7 6-0 6-0. Sections of the crowd started to boo as Evans clearly struggled but he did not want to pull out.
Evans, 34, has only retired six times in 894 matches in his long career. And he insisted: “I wasn’t tempted to stop. I think it is about respect. I was relatively OK in the third set.
“It was pretty bemusing that they started to boo me when the irony was I was staying out there for them. And of course I respect Alex. I don’t think you should be pulling out in a Grand Slam.
“You finish the match. That’s just my way. And that’s how I was brought up. You stay till the end and shake hands. And he actually said, ‘Thanks for staying out there, respect’. And that’s not what I am doing it for. But people come into and pay and some are happy and some are not.
“After the second set, it reads: 6-0 6-0. But that’s by the by, for me, I couldn’t, couldn’t give a —- what if says of six love, six love. I stayed out there to fight until the last ball.”
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8 hours ago07: 43 Sam Smith
Jannik Sinner avoids curseJannik Sinner might have seen Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz bow out in New York and assumed his time was up too.
Some of the best-ranked players have struggled for form in the US.
However, Sinner comfortably defeated Chris O’Connell in straight sets to ease into the fourth round.
The Italian will see the path to a second Grand Slam widening in front of him.
8 hours ago07: 41 Sam Smith
Tennis star ‘so happy’ after Novak Djokovic winNick Kyrgios admitted he was ‘so happy’ with Alexei Popyrin’s defeat of Novak Djokovic despite his growing friendship with the Serb.
Kyrgios saw consistency in Popyrin that he himself has struggled to find throughout his career.
“So happy for pop man,” the Australian wrote of his countryman.
“His consistency is something I was looking for my whole career. Genuinely happy man. You have what it takes to win a slam. Bro, go get it.”
Nick Kyrgios was happy to see Novak Djokovic exit the US Open (Image: Getty)
So happy for pop man. His consistency is something I was looking for my whole career. Genuinely happy man. You have what it takes to win a slam. Bro, go get it. https://t.co/KoRtQ6aXO6
u2014 Nicholas Kyrgios (@NickKyrgios) August 31, 2024 8 hours ago07: 38 Sam Smith
WelcomeHello and welcome to Express Sport’s LIVE coverage of today’s US Open news.
We’ll have all the reaction to defeats suffered by Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz over the last few days, and we’ll be looking ahead to the second week.
So stay tuned…
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