Djokavic, who had never lost in the first round of the US Open prior to Sunday, saw his earliest exit in a Grand Slam since the Australian Open in January 2006
Credit: Mike Lawrence/USTA via Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- Novak Djokovic lost in the first round of the US Open for the first time
- The 24-time Grand Slam champion battled physical ailments, including vomiting and cramping, during the marathon 5-set match
- Djokovic hinted at ongoing health issues and uncertainty about his future in Grand Slam tournaments
Novak Djokovic met his match.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion, 39, went on a physical and emotional ride at the 2026 US Open before ultimately losing 7-6 (5), 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 to Mariano Navone in the first round on Sunday, Aug. 30.
In a marathon match that lasted 4 hours, 36 minutes, Djokovic was upset by the 25-year-old Argentine player in what went down as the longest opener of a Grand Slam in the Serbian tennis star’s career and earliest elimination in one in two decades.
“I didn’t enjoy myself,” Djokovic told a small group of media outside the locker room as opposed to a formal news conference, ESPN reported after the match. “I think it was obvious that it was an awful feeling on the court for me.”
Credit: Mike Lawrence/USTA via Getty
Djokovic, who had never lost in the first round at the US Open before, faced various physical ailments throughout the five-set match at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City on Sunday.
The dad of two threw up at least once and later appeared to suffer a cramp when he grabbed his left foot. He reportedly swallowed pills given to him by a doctor and had a back massage during a medical timeout between the fourth and fifth sets, according to ESPN.
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The No. 4 seed, who grimaced after a number of shots, made 70 unforced errors in a painful performance that came to an end a minute before midnight.
“It’s something that I’ve been carrying, unfortunately, pretty much every match this year: vomiting, throwing up, a serious issue there,” he said. “Then my whole body starts to collapse, basically cramping and pain. Yeah, the back just gave up in the end, and shoulder, and I couldn’t close it out.”
With the loss, 21 years to the day of his US Open debut, it’s now unknown if this will be Djokovic’s final match at this or any Grand Slam. After the loss, Djokovic said he was “trying to address really what’s going on and how far I can go this way.”
Credit: Julian Finney/Getty
Djokovic cruised to early 3-0 and 4-1 leads before blowing them and falling in the first set, the first time he produced a result like that in the first round of the US Open since 2006.
“Just struggled all the way since the fourth game of the match,” he said. “When it comes to match itself and overall feeling of how I felt with body and playing, it was really not enjoyable. I pretty much despised every moment that I spent on the court for that.”
Djokovic couldn’t regain his form after dropping the fourth set, and essentially surrendered in the fifth. For Navone, though, he earned his first five-set win of his career.
“[It] was very tough for me because you are playing with the ‘GOAT’ on this court,” said Navone, who idolized Djokovic growing up. “For sure, it’s the best thing I’ve had on court. This is an amazing court and the biggest stage. It’s amazing, the way we play. I mean, five sets.
Credit: Mike Stobe/Getty
“I’m very happy. I don’t know. What can I say?”
A few weeks before the US Open, Djokovic revealed that he’s been dealing with an ongoing “health issue” after losing at the Cincinnati Open.
During his second-round defeat — which he lost 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 to Argentina’s Thiago Agustín Tirante — the tennis star suddenly fell to his hands and knees, calling for a medical timeout in the middle of their second set.
Videos shared on social media show Djokovic falling to his knees and appearing to vomit into a towel.
Djokovic told reporters that it was “because of a health issue I have. I’ve been dealing with it for many years now. It causes me a lot of problems, especially when there’s a lot of humidity and heat.”
“I did anticipate it [would be humid], but there are all these things, like nerves and everything involved that make it worse, and that’s what happened,” Djokovic continued.
When asked if he might play Cincinnati again next year, Djokovic admitted that “it seems more likely that I won’t be back next year.”
“But let’s see what the future holds,” he added. “I hope I do.”
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