All major Linux distributions (Fedora, Debian, Archlinux) support OpenSSL 3 and require it as a backend over the 1.1.x series, to ship your package through package installation.
Look at https://www.openssl.org/docs/man3.0/man7/migration_guide.html how to migrate your programs from 1.1.x to OpenSSL 3.
Since Heartbleed attack, complaints about OpenSSL library/code structure which lead to LibreSSL development (fork that removes support for old OSes etc...).
These kind of issues were adressed in OpenSSL 3 which refactors heavily the codebase. I guess there was also API issues, and they tried to make OpenSSL more hard-to-misuse.
1.1.1 will be dropped next year.
Please read the docs. Do not even trust me, make your own opinion on crypto software. Read OpenSSL blog.