Novak Djokovic’s chase for a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title suffered its most painful setback yet on Sunday night in New York, as the Serbian great crashed out of the US Open in the first round for the first time in his career.
The 39-year-old, seeded fourth, was beaten 7-6(5), 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 by unseeded Argentine Mariano Navone in a gruelling five-set contest that stretched close to midnight at Arthur Ashe Stadium. By the closing games, Djokovic was visibly struggling to move, and as Navone closed in on the biggest win of his career, the four-time US Open champion was overcome with emotion, fighting back tears as the reality of the loss set in.
It marked the first time Djokovic had lost in the opening round of Flushing Meadows in 20 appearances at the tournament, and his first opening-round exit at any Grand Slam since 2006, when Marat Safin beat him in Melbourne.
How the match unfolded
Djokovic started brightly, breaking Navone’s serve early to move 4-1 up in the first set. But a long, punishing rally soon drained him, and from there his movement began to slow noticeably. He called for the trainer after the ninth game, visibly uncomfortable, and went on to lose the opener in a tie-break after just over an hour on court.
Cooler conditions under the Ashe roof appeared to give him a temporary lift, and Djokovic clawed back to win the second and third sets, briefly threatening one of his trademark comebacks. He even broke Navone to lead 5-4 in the third, the kind of position a fitter, younger Djokovic has converted into victory countless times before.
This time, his body would not cooperate. Djokovic’s serve speed dropped sharply, his movement stiffened further, and by the fourth set he was visibly nauseous, at one point needing to be sick into a towel bin courtside. Navone, ranked 49th in the world and never previously past the second round in New York, seized his opportunity, sweeping the fourth and fifth sets to complete a famous upset.
As Navone closed out the match, Djokovic was broken in the fourth game of the decider and appeared close to tears while preparing to return serve, seemingly aware that the contest, and his tournament, was slipping away for good.
“I didn’t enjoy myself” — Djokovic reacts
Djokovic was gracious in defeat, applauding Navone’s performance and congratulating him warmly at the net. Speaking to reporters afterward, he admitted the whole experience had been difficult to stomach, saying it was an awful feeling being out on court that night.
He was quick to credit his opponent rather than dwell on excuses, but he did not hide his disappointment with how the match had gone for him personally.
Djokovic later opened up about a recurring physical issue that has troubled him through much of the season, describing bouts of vomiting, cramping and pain that build over the course of matches played in hot, humid conditions. He said the problem had affected his back and shoulder by the closing stages against Navone, ultimately costing him any chance of closing out the win.
The defeat comes just weeks after a similarly alarming early exit at the Cincinnati Open, where Djokovic lost to Argentina’s Thiago Tirante in comparable heat and humidity, his only competitive outing on North American hard courts before arriving in New York.
A costly night for his Grand Slam record chase
For Djokovic, the timing could hardly have been worse. He arrived at Flushing Meadows with a rare opening at the top of the men’s draw, with world number one Jannik Sinner sidelined through injury and defending champion Carlos Alcaraz still working his way back from a long-term wrist problem. Many observers viewed this as one of Djokovic’s better remaining chances to add a 25th major singles title and move outright ahead of Margaret Court’s record.
Instead, his campaign ended in round one, and his ATP ranking, currently fifth, is set to slide further as a result. He had reached at least the semi-finals in six of his previous seven Grand Slam appearances, making Sunday’s collapse all the more jarring for a player who has rarely shown such visible physical distress on the biggest stages.
Is retirement getting closer?
Inevitably, the manner of the defeat has reignited questions about how much longer Djokovic can keep competing at the top level. In a documentary released earlier this month, he insisted he had not set himself an “expiry date,” pointing out that he still believes he can win.
That defiance has defined much of his late career, but back-to-back early exits in Cincinnati and now New York, both accompanied by visible illness and physical breakdown in the heat, will be hard for fans and analysts to ignore. Djokovic himself indicated after the Navone match that his immediate focus is on finding a solution to the underlying health issue rather than on stepping away from the sport.
For now, one of the greatest players the game has ever seen leaves New York without a title defence to speak of, his emotions laid bare in front of a crowd that has watched him chase history for two decades. Whether this proves to be a temporary setback or the beginning of the end remains one of the biggest storylines tennis will be watching over the months ahead.
