Novak Djokovic’s US Open campaign has ended almost as soon as it began, with the Serbian great suffering his earliest Grand Slam defeat in more than two decades.
The 24-time major champion had not lost in the opening round of a Grand Slam since the 2006 Australian Open, but that long-running streak was snapped in New York as unseeded Argentine Mariano Navone, the world No 49, stunned him 7-6(5), 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1.
Djokovic began the season by reaching the final of the year’s first major, even taking a set from eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz. Yet nine months later, this bruising defeat on Sunday night is certain to fuel fresh debate over how long the world No 5 can keep competing with tennis’ elite at the highest level.
With world No 1 Jannik Sinner sidelined through injury and Alcaraz returning in New York for his first match since April after an extended absence of his own, Djokovic had been viewed as one of the biggest names capable of taking advantage of a unusually open US Open draw.
Instead, as he fell 3-1 behind in the deciding set during the fifth hour of a draining contest, Djokovic appeared visibly emotional. The pursuit of a record-extending 25th Grand Slam title suddenly felt more distant than ever.
Navone, known primarily for his clay-court grit, made life miserable by extending rallies and forcing Djokovic into one punishing exchange after another. The match lasted four hours and 37 minutes, making it the longest first-round encounter of Djokovic’s Grand Slam career, and from the opening stages he rarely looked comfortable.
Novak Djokovic was forced to battle his body throughout a gruelling US Open first-round clash with Argentina’s Mariano Navone
Djokovic lost the opening set before fighting back to claim the next two on Sunday night in Queens
Djokovic suffered from heat exhaustion in his harrowing second-round exit at the Cincinnati Open earlier this month, and again vomited multiple times during the third set in Flushing Meadows.
The Serbian serial champion was in the sixth game when he was overcome with the issue, bent double at the back of the court as he voided his stomach.
Despite throwing up again during the game, the 39-year-old held his serve, and went on to win his second set after dropping the first during an uncharacteristically error-strewn tiebreak.
During the opening stages of the match – before the Arthur Ashe Stadium roof was closed due to inclement weather, Djokovic visibly struggled with the humid New York evening, rubbing his head with an ice bag and at times clutching his temples as if affected by a headache.
In one of the early breaks in play, Djokovic went as far as to ask the supervisor if once the roof was closed, the air conditioning could be turned on.
When play restarted following the roof’s closure, Djokovic took two tablets given to him by a tournament physio as he continued to grapple with the early stages.
Deep in the third set, Djokovic was also able to take on fluids shared with him by his team seated courtside, as his camp attempted to find a solution as the match ticked towards its fourth hour.
In the stands, Djokovic’s wife Jelena looked desolate as her husband battled both his opponent and his own body, at times putting her head in her hands as she watched the match play out.
After his defeat in Cincinnati to another Argentine, Thiago Agustin Tirante, Djokovic revealed that in recent years he had struggled with the heat more than ever after developing a health condition that has affected him ‘for the past couple of years’.
‘(It causes) a lot of issues, especially when it is humid and it is hot,’ Djokovic said in his post-match press conference. ‘I did anticipate it, but there are all these things, like nerves and everything involved that make it worse, and that’s what happened.’
Post-puke, Djokovic appeared to regain his footing in the match as he saw out the third set, and claimed an early break in the fourth.
But despite a comeback to build a one-set lead over his opponent, Djokovic dipped in the fourth set and was forced to go the distance
The 39-year-old received a medical timeout ahead of the fifth set but saw no quick change
But the Argentine proved he was down but not out with an immediate break-back which left Djokovic shaking his head in disbelief.
After stopping the rot, Navone went on a tear, shutting Djokovic out of the set to force a decider and take the match towards hour five.
Before starting the fifth set, Djokovic took on more tablets and received a medical timeout, with a US Open trainer massaging the 24-time Grand Slam champion’s lower back before he stepped out once again onto the tournament’s show court – after swapping his black match shirt for a clean white one.
But the final set was a swift one as Djokovic unravelled at pace, at times looking visibly emotional as chances for one final miraculous comeback slipped from his grasp.
