Novak Djokovic struggled with physical and mental difficulties throughout the match, committing repeated errors while failing to overcome a composed, younger opponent who showed no signs of being overawed by facing tennis' most decorated player. Aged 25, Mariano Navone defeated Djokovic in a five-set contest at the U.S. Open on Sunday, with the scoreline reading 7-6 (5), 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 across four hours and 36 minutes, ending the veteran's first-round campaign.
The match represented both the lengthiest opening-round appearance of Djokovic's Grand Slam career and his earliest tournament exit in twenty years, a span stretching back to the 2006 Australian Open. Prior to this tournament, he had never suffered a first-round defeat at the U.S. Open.
Questions have since been raised about whether Djokovic's defeat — coming 21 years after his first appearance at the U.S. Open — marks the end of his participation in this tournament or in Grand Slam tennis altogether.
Djokovic committed 70 unforced errors in a match that concluded just before midnight. Navone, who had admired Djokovic throughout his upbringing, described the experience as the greatest of his career and acknowledged the challenge of facing someone widely regarded as the finest player in the sport's history.
The player who holds the record of 24 Grand Slam titles vomited at least once during the match and later showed signs of cramping, clutching at his left foot. Between the fourth and fifth sets, Djokovic received medication administered by a team doctor, underwent lower back massage treatment during a medical timeout, and showed visible signs of physical discomfort following a number of strokes. Djokovic appeared to struggle throughout the match, with the physical effects of illness and fatigue visibly affecting his performance.
The fourth-seeded Serbian player built leads of 3-0 and 4-1 in the opening set, only to surrender both advantages and drop the set — a first-round U.S. Open outcome that had not occurred for him since 2006. From her place in the stands, Jelena Djokovic looked on as Djokovic delivered stretches of tennis that drew comparisons to the highest levels the game has produced.
After claiming the second set, Djokovic offered a measured fist pump before cupping a hand to his ear and urging the crowd to increase the noise as he moved towards taking the third. Navone — a 25-year-old Argentine player who claimed his first ATP singles title earlier this year — held his ground.
Djokovic lost his footing on a wayward fourth-set shot, stumbling off balance and releasing his racket. Djokovic subsequently relinquished the fourth set. Navone claimed his first five-set victory at that stage, while Djokovic fell short of a 43rd, with Navone describing the achievement as deeply meaningful.
The result added to a run of setbacks for Djokovic, who had also been eliminated in the opening round of the hard-court event in Cincinnati earlier that month. It marked his first competitive appearance following the semi-final defeat to world number one Jannik Sinner at Wimbledon. On Saturday, Djokovic said he hoped his early departure from Cincinnati would allow additional preparation time ahead of the U.S. Open, while also noting that opening matches at tournaments had grown increasingly difficult for him over recent years. His path forward at Grand Slam level remains unclear.
