When was the last time Novak Djokovic ended a season without winning a Grand Slam? All you need to know after Serb's shock US Open exit

Novak Djokovic suffered a shock third-round exit at the US Open, where he was the defending champion. With his loss, 2024 is the first year that he has failed to win any of the four Grand Slam titles since 2017.

The Serb, who had come into the season’s final Slam after winning Olympic gold in Paris, looked off-color throughout most of his encounter against Popyrin. Inferior serving numbers, some uncharacteristic mistakes, and inspired play from his opponent saw Djokovic go down 4-6, 4-6, 6-2, 4-6.

Djokovic had earlier lost in the final of Wimbledon to Carlos Alcaraz for the second straight year. Just a month before that, he had been forced to withdraw from the French Open due to a knee injury that required him to undergo minor surgery.

The year had gotten off to a rocky start for the Serb as he had also failed to defend his Australian Open crown after losing to eventual champion Jannik Sinner.

Djokovic had been through a similar start to the 2017 season, with the Australian Open that year being the first time since 2007 that Djokovic failed to make the quarterfinals. He had won the tournament on six prior occasions up to that point. He lost to Denis Istomin, his first Slam loss to a player ranked outside the top 100 in the ATP rankings.

Djokovic’s team underwent a major shuffle after the Monte Carlo Masters that year, with him ending his partnership with long-time coach Marian Vajda, fitness coach Gebhard Phil-Gritsch and physiotherapist Miljan Amanovic.

The Serb failed to make the semifinal at any other Grand Slam. His best Major performances were quarterfinal finishes at the French Open and Wimbledon.

He had posted wins over Marcel Granollers, Joao Sousa, Diego Schwartzman, and Albert Ramos Vinolas before losing to Dominic Thiem in Paris. At Wimbledon, he made the last eight after beating Martin Klizan, Adam Pavlasek, Ernests Gulbis, and Adrian Mannarino but was forced to retire against Tomas Berdych when trailing by a set and a break.

As fate would have it, another injury then struck, this time to his elbow. The injury ruled the Serb out of the 2017 US Open.

Coming back to his setback at the 2024 edition, Djokovic after the match expressed disappointment at failing to defend his US Open crown. He said being unable to play his best tennis at a venue where he has had immense success in the past was frustrating, but was hopeful that the next would bring him a fresh start.

"I mean obviously fresh off the court, you have a bitter taste in your mouth and you don't like losing even though I've, you know, I've had so many more wins than losses in this tournament and really any other," Djokovic said.

"So I have to draw the line, see things from a larger perspective, of course I have to be content but it's hard to see the big perspective right now, you know, 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 obviously I'll think about what to do next," he added.

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What next for Novak Djokovic in 2024 after US Open exit?

Novak Djokovic will be defending his ranking points in the coming months (GETTY)

While Novak Djokovic has not committed to play at any of the remaining Tour events of the season, he does have ranking points to defend after the US Open.

Along with the 2023 Paris Masters crown, the Serb lifted the trophy at the ATP Tour Finals last year. He will be keen on returning to those tournaments and keep his ranking points intact. He is currently No. 7 in the ATP Race to Turin rankings, where only the top 8 qualify for the season-ending event.

After his US Open loss to Alexei Popyrin, Djokovic addressed fatigue, saying he had spent a lot of energy winning the elusive Olympic gold in Paris and had “run out of gas” by the time he reached New York.

"I mean obviously it had an effect, I mean I spent a lot of energy winning the gold and I did arrive to New York, you know, just not feeling, not feeling fresh mentally and physically. But because it's the US Open, you know, I gave it a shot and I try to, you know, tried my best," Djokovic said.

"I mean I didn't have any physical issues, I just felt out of gas, you know, and you can see that, with the way I played, just from the very beginning from the first match, I just didn't find myself at all on this court and... That's all I can say, you know, life moves on," he added.

Given his statements about "not feeling fresh", it remains to be seen whether the Serb will be playing any tournaments immediately after the US Open. The Asian swing of the Tour, meanwhile, begins with the Chengdu Open on September 16 and will also feature a Masters 1000 event in Shanghai.