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Novak Djokovic, Hampered by Injury, Is Out of the U.S. Open

Danielle Parhizkaran/USA Today Sports, via Reuters

Novak Djokovic is the best tennis player in the world when healthy, but he is not invincible, especially when playing Stan Wawrinka at the United States Open.

Djokovic, the No. 1 seed and defending champion, retired from his fourth-round match Sunday against Wawrinka in the third set, apparently with an existing left shoulder injury. He had already lost the first two sets and looked nothing like he normally does when fit.

The fans booed him as he walked off court, but Wawrinka was much more sympathetic.

“It’s never the way you want to finish a match,” Wawrinka said in an on-court interview.