Novak Djokovic suffered a stunning first-round exit at the 2026 US Open on Sunday after losing a gruelling five-set contest to Argentina’s Mariano Navone.
The 39-year-old Serbian, who was chasing a record 25th Grand Slam singles title, was beaten 7-6 (7/5), 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 by the world No. 48 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York.
The defeat marked Djokovic’s earliest exit from a Grand Slam tournament in 20 years and ended a remarkable run of 78 consecutive first-round victories at majors.
His previous opening-round Grand Slam defeat came against Paul Goldstein at the 2006 Australian Open.
Djokovic struggled physically throughout Sunday’s match, vomiting several times and later battling cramps and pain in his back and shoulder.
The four-time US Open champion admitted after the defeat that he had been dealing with recurring physical problems throughout the year.
“I think it was obvious that it was an awful feeling on the court for me,” Djokovic said.
He explained that vomiting and other physical issues had affected him in several matches this season, with his condition eventually deteriorating during the contest against Navone.
Despite his health problems, Djokovic battled through the opening three sets and appeared to have taken control of the match when he moved two sets to one ahead.
Navone had taken the opening set in a tie-break before Djokovic responded by winning the second 7-5.
The Serbian then secured the decisive break late in the third set before holding serve to take a 2-1 advantage.
Djokovic’s physical problems turn match in Navone’s favour
Djokovic initially appeared capable of completing the comeback when he broke Navone for a 2-1 lead in the fourth set with a backhand winner down the line.
The momentum, however, changed dramatically.
Navone won the next five games to take the fourth set 6-2 and force the match into a deciding fifth set.
Djokovic took a medical timeout before the final set, receiving treatment on his back and additional medication.
The intervention was not enough to halt his physical decline.
Navone quickly established a 3-0 advantage in the fifth set, while Djokovic struggled to match the Argentine’s intensity.
The Serbian eventually lost eight consecutive games across the fourth and fifth sets as cramps and other physical problems took their toll.
Navone remained composed on serve and closed out the deciding set 6-1 to complete one of the biggest victories of his career.
Djokovic later revealed that he had considered retiring from the match because of his condition.
He decided to continue after recovering to win the second and third sets, believing he still had an opportunity to progress.
Determination ultimately proved insufficient as his body began to fail him during the fourth set.
The result was particularly surprising given Djokovic’s record at Flushing Meadows.
Before Sunday’s defeat, he had never lost before the third round at the US Open.
There had, however, been warning signs before the tournament.
Djokovic also struggled physically during his only warm-up event in Cincinnati, where he lost his opening match.
Even during the first set against Navone, the Serbian appeared uncomfortable despite building an early 4-1 advantage.
As the rallies became longer, Djokovic increasingly looked fatigued and eventually lost the opening set in a tie-break.
Elsewhere in the men’s draw, former US Open champion Daniil Medvedev avoided a similar upset by defeating France’s Hugo Gaston 6-4, 6-2, 6-4.
The seventh-seeded Russian produced a controlled performance to advance after suffering a disappointing first-round defeat at the tournament the previous year.
In the women’s competition, world No. 3 Jessica Pegula also progressed with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Romania’s Elena-Gabriela Ruse.
Pegula admitted she had been nervous at the start of her campaign but recovered to secure a straight-sets victory.
Other opening-round matches produced lengthy battles, with Dino Prizmic saving two match points before defeating Aleksandr Shevchenko in five sets.
Spain’s Jaume Munar also survived a marathon encounter lasting close to five hours before beating Frenchman Terence Atmane in another five-set contest.
For Djokovic, however, the immediate focus will shift to his fitness after another tournament in which physical difficulties disrupted his pursuit of an unprecedented 25th major title.
