Novak Djokovic is a Serbian tennis player
Novak Djokovic’s pursuit of a record 25th Grand Slam title has suffered a major setback after he was knocked out in the first round of the US Open by Argentina’s Mariano Navone.
The fourth-seeded Djokovic battled for four hours and 36 minutes at Arthur Ashe Stadium before losing 7-6 (7-5), 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 to the world No. 49.
It was the longest first-round Grand Slam match of Djokovic’s career.
The defeat is particularly significant because Djokovic had never previously lost in the opening round of the US Open.
It is also his first first-round exit at a Grand Slam since the 2006 Australian Open, when he was just 18 years old.
Djokovic started strongly, breaking Navone early and opening a 4-1 lead in the first set.
However, his physical problems soon became apparent as he struggled with the humid New York conditions. Navone fought back and took the opening set in a tie-break.
Djokovic responded by winning the second and third sets and appeared to have regained control.
He moved ahead 5-4 in the third set and looked more like the player who has dominated Grand Slam tennis for much of the past two decades.
But the momentum quickly disappeared in the fourth set.
Djokovic began to struggle badly, vomiting on several occasions, using ice towels to cool himself and battling cramps.
He also experienced problems with his back and shoulder.
Despite being a break ahead in the fourth set, Djokovic could not maintain his level.
Navone broke back and eventually forced the match into a deciding set, where Djokovic had very little left physically.
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The Argentine raced through the fifth set 6-1 to secure the biggest victory of his career.
After the match, Djokovic admitted that he had considered retiring from the contest because of how badly he felt.
He revealed that the vomiting and physical collapse were not completely new problems and had affected him repeatedly throughout the 2026 season.
“It’s something that I have been carrying, unfortunately, pretty much every match this year — vomiting, throwing up, serious issue there,” Djokovic said.
“My whole body starts to collapse, basically cramping and pain. The back just gave up in the end, and shoulder, and I couldn’t close it out,” he added.
The 39-year-old was visibly emotional after the defeat. Having congratulated Navone at the net, Djokovic struggled to contain his emotions as he left the court, with the magnitude of the defeat clearly affecting him.
For Navone, the victory represents the biggest moment of his career. The 25-year-old, ranked 49th in the world, had never gone beyond the second round of the US Open.
He described beating Djokovic as a “dream come true”.
The loss also raises fresh questions about Djokovic’s ability to continue competing at the highest level.
He has already suffered physical difficulties on the North American hard courts, including a defeat to Argentina’s Thiago Tirante in Cincinnati earlier this month in similarly humid conditions.
However, Djokovic has not announced any retirement plans. Instead, he said his immediate focus is on understanding and addressing the health problem.
“I don’t know. I’m trying, man. I’m trying,” Djokovic said. “I’m just trying to address really what’s going on and how far I can go this way,” he added.
The defeat ends his latest bid to move clear of Margaret Court’s record of 24 Grand Slam titles.
PAH/JKB
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