Djokovic's First-Round Exit at the US Open

Novak Djokovic, the 24-time Grand Slam champion, was defeated in the first round of the US Open 2026 by Argentina's Mariano Navone, losing 7-6(5), 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 at Arthur Ashe Stadium. The match, which lasted four hours and 36 minutes, marked the first time in 20 years that Djokovic has failed to advance past the opening round of a major. His previous first-round loss at a Grand Slam came at the 2006 Australian Open, with his only other such defeat at the 2005 Australian Open.

Djokovic, who entered the match with a 42-12 record in five-set matches, took a two-sets-to-one lead before Navone, who had never won a five-setter prior to this match, won the final two sets, taking 11 of the final 12 games. The defeat ended Djokovic's hopes of chasing a record 25th Grand Slam title at this year's US Open.

Djokovic's Physical Struggles

After the match, Djokovic described his time on court as "an awful feeling," revealing that persistent physical problems, including vomiting, cramping, and pain, severely affected his ability to finish the match. "I think it was obvious that it was an awful feeling on the court for me. It's something that I've been carrying, unfortunately, pretty much every match this year. Vomiting, throwing up, a serious issue there. Then my whole body starts to collapse, basically cramping and pain," he said, as quoted by the ATP. "Yeah, the back just gave up in the end and shoulder, and I couldn't close it out," he added.

Djokovic said he had been dealing with similar physical issues throughout the season. Despite these struggles, he had put himself in a strong position to avoid the upset, leading by two sets to one and was a break ahead in the fourth set. "I was a break up in the fourth, but just struggled all the way since the fourth game of the match," Djokovic said. "Again, I don't want to take too much out of his win. Congrats to him. He's a nice guy, a fighter. But I didn't enjoy myself."

The Serbian admitted that the severity of his condition had made him consider retiring from the contest, but moments of recovery and his refusal to give up persuaded him to continue. "I won a set and then the third one. Then I was, like, 'Okay, maybe there is a chance'. Yeah, I didn't want to give up in fourth or fifth, so I wanted to finish the match," he stated. He also said, "I pretty much despised every moment that I spent on the court for that."

Crowd Support and Aftermath

While trailing 1-3 in the deciding set, the New York crowd attempted to rally Djokovic, and he was visibly moved. "The love and appreciation they gave me in the end really touched my heart," Djokovic said, thanking the crowd for their support and apologizing that he didn't perform as well as he wanted.

The defeat has significant ranking implications, with Djokovic losing 790 points and dropping to No. 11 in the rankings, marking the first time he has been out of the Top 10 since2018. He has played only 21 matches this year, his lowest in a season by some distance. Djokovic said he is "trying to address what's happening to me and see how far I can go like this."