How Novak Djokovic's section of the draw at US Open 2023 has fallen apart by the second round itself

Novak Djokovic kicked off his pursuit of a third Major triumph in 2023 at the US Open on Monday (28 August). Three days have passed since then, and nine seeded players in the Serb's half of the draw have already exited the New York Major.

While Djokovic's draw was considered fairly easy from the start, it has now become even more so. Elite players like Casper Ruud, Holger Rune, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Felix Auger-Aliassime have all been upset by lower-ranked players.

Without further ado, let's take an in-depth look at how each section of Djokovic's draw has collapsed:

No player in Djokovic's half has a Major final under their belt following Casper Ruud's second-round loss

Casper Ruud reacts after exiting the 2023 US Open

2023 Roland Garros finalist Casper Ruud was upset by World No. 67 Zhizhen Zhang late last night; the Norwegian succumbed to a 4-6, 7-5, 2-6, 6-0, 2-6 loss. This defeat meant that none of Novak Djokovic's potential opponents have the experience of reaching a Major final (Stefanos Tsitipas had lost to unseeded Dominic Stricker before Ruud's exit).

Sebastian Korda, who troubled Djokovic earlier this year during their championship-match in Adelaide, was also defeated by Marton Fucsovics on Day 1 of the 2023 US Open.

At the moment, 2022 US Open semifinalist Frances Tiafoe is the only realistic challenge for Djokovic before the semifinals. However, the 10th seed could well fail to past his section of the draw, given that he has been fairly inconsistent at the Majors throughout his career.

Holger Rune might have been a formidable opponent for Novak Djokovic, but he suffered an early loss too

Holger Rune has struggled from a back injury lately

Fourth-seeded Holger Rune also exited the New York Major on the first day, losing in four sets to Spain's Roberto Carballes Baena. It should be noted, however, that the young Dane has been suffering from a back injury over the last month.

If Rune had been fit, a potential match-up between him and Djokovic would've been highly anticipated by fans. Rune has defeated the 36-year-old in two of their three tour-level meetings.

Currently, the only seeded players remaining in this section are Tommy Paul and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, but only one will move ahead in the draw as they face each other in the third round on Friday (1 September).

Stefanos Tsitsipas' struggles continue; Taylor Fritz is the only seeded potential quarterfinal opponent for the Serb

Taylor Fritz has impressed fans this week

Stefanos Tsitsipas failed to serve out his second-round match against Switzerland's Dominic Stricker, eventually losing 5-7, 7-6(2), 7-6(5), 6-7(6), 3-6. The Greek has struggled for most of the 2023 season, failing to make much of an impact since his runner-up finish at the Australian Open in January.

Other seeded players in this section, like Lorenzo Musetti and Christopher Eubanks, have also exited the 2023 US Open. Ninth-seeded Taylor Fritz, meanwhile, has had a good campaign in Flushing Meadows thus far, not dropping a single set en route to the third round.

Fritz will now have to defeat fast-rising qualifier Jakub Mensik and the winner between Stricker and Benjamin Bonzi to reach the quarterfinals. It should be noted, however, that the American has only made it past the fourth round of a Major tournament once in his career.

Felix Auger-Aliassime also bowed out early; Djokovic's potential 4R opponent will be ranked outside the top 100

Vesely embraces Djokovic after defeating him in Dubai last year

Felix Auger-Aliassime, who has struggled with a shoulder injury this year, also lost in his opener to Mackenzie McDonald. On paper, the 2021 US Open semifinalist could've been a formidable opponent for Novak Djokovic in the fourth round.

World No. 437 Jiri Vesely or qualifier Borna Gojo will most likely face the 23-time Major winner for a place in the last eight of the New York Major. Vesely leads Djokovic 2-0 in their head-to-head meetings, but none of those two meetings have come at a Major tournament.

Djokovic, meanwhile, will face 32nd-seeded Laslo Djere in the third round later on Thursday (31 August). The Serb is expected to make quick work of his countryman and reach the second week at the US Open for the 15th time in his career.