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Exciting Australian tennis prospect Alexei Popyrin has lost a titanic third-round US Open match to seeded Italian Matteo Berrettini.

Boom youngster Alexei Popyrin is only looking forward, not back, after his gallant US Open run came to a gut-wrenching end at Flushing Meadows.

The Australian smashed his racquet in anguish after failing to serve out a titanic fourth set in a 6-4 6-4 6-7 (3-7) 7-6 (7-2) third-round loss to Italian Matteo Berrettini on Saturday night.

Popyrin was hoping to reach the last 16 at a grand slam for the first time and was left shattered at falling short after battling for more than three-and-a-half hours against the tournament's 24th seed.

But an ice bath soon cooled him down, with the 20-year-old vowing to hit back stronger.

"It's just all positive. I'm really happy with the way I fought, with the way I played. That was high-level tennis," Popyrin said.

"I'll fight to the death. I'll fight down to the last point every match.

"That just comes with fighting spirit... I fought for that fourth set and I felt if I had have gone to a fifth set, I would have been the favourite.

"I felt like physically I was in a bit better shape than him."

Popyrin appeared to lack energy in the opening two sets, Berrettini breaking once in each to assume control.

But after fending off a multitude of break points to snatch the third set, Popyrin suddenly exploded to life and found another gear in an epic 11th game of the fourth set.

He broke serve on his seventh chance and ignited the crowd on showcourt 17 with his adrenaline-charged celebration after his rifled backhand passing shot.

Popyrin, though, popped too early and after he handed the break straight back he lost the tiebreaker - and the match.

"Every experience at a slam is a learning experience for me," he said.

"This is my first year of playing all four slams during the year, so I've played a full slam calendar and then to get past the first round in two of them and to get past the second round in another two of them is an unbelievable achievement for me.

"I was ranked outside the top 100 coming into the tournament and now I'm back in the top 100, which is great and hopefully I can stay there for a long time.

"Hopefully I can continue this level. If I play the tennis that I played this week, I know I'm going to do good things."