US Open 2023: Defending champion Iga Swiatek suffers a stunning exit after losing to Jelena Ostapenko

Defending champion and world number one Iga Swiatek was out of the US Open 2023 tournament with a shock loss to Jelena Ostapenko 3-6 6-3 6-1. After that, Swiatek will lose her number one ranking and Aryna Sabalenka will become the world's top player for the first time.

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If there was anyone who had the potential to topple Swiatek in New York, it was Jelena, who earned her fourth win in a row against Swiatek on Monday. Jelena retains her reign against Swiatek. Moreover, this is the eighth consecutive year that the defending champion has not been able to reach the US Open finals. Serena Williams was the last female player to defend her title. She had won three consecutive trophies between 2012 and 2014.

At the beginning of the match, Swiatek won the first set against the 2017 French Open winner and it seemed that she would easily make it to the last 8. However, after this Jelena made a strong comeback and won the remaining two sets and won the match. Before this match, Swiatek had won only one set in three matches against Jelena, but all three of these matches took place before Swiatek became the world number one female player. In such a situation, Swiatek was confident that she could win this match.

The world's top player made a great start and took the lead. At 5-3, Jelena tried to make a comeback, but Swiatek easily won the first set. After this Jelena returned to form and won the second set 6-3. After that, Jelena's confidence returned and Swiatek started fearing defeat. Taking advantage of this, Jelena won the last set 6-1. After that, she won the match and made it to the US Open 2023 last 8.

Meanwhile, Coco Gauff became her country's youngest player to reach the US Open quarterfinals for the second time since Serena Williams in more than two decades. Nineteen-year-old Gauff defeated former Australian Open champion Caroline Wozniacki 33, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1. She will now face 20th-seeded 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko, who defeated defending champion Iga Swiatek.

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In the men's category, Novak Djokovic also made it to the US Open 2023 last eight. Meanwhile, 23-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic defeated qualifier Borna Gojo 6-2, 7-5, 6-4. He will now face ninth seed Taylor Fritz of America. Fritz defeated qualifier Dominic Stephan Stricker of Switzerland 7-6, 6-4, 6-4. This will be Djokovic's 13th US Open quarterfinal and Fritz's first. Djokovic has a 7-0 record against him. 23-time Grand Slam winner is set to replace Carlos Alcaraz at number one in the next ATP rankings.