Novak Djokovic's US Open campaign ended in the first round on Tuesday night as the 24-time Grand Slam champion succumbed to a five-set defeat against Argentina's Mariano Navone, marking his earliest exit from a major tournament in over two decades.
The 39-year-old Serb, appearing in a record-extending 84th Grand Slam main draw, lost 7-6 (7-5), 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 after four hours and 36 minutes of visible physical distress on Arthur Ashe Stadium court. Djokovic vomited numerous times, fought off cramps, and was in tears as he walked off the court shortly after midnight.
Physical struggles from the start
Djokovic's suffering began remarkably early. Barely 15 minutes into the match, before he had consolidated an opening break at 2-0, he already appeared to be struggling with the humidity, despite the match being played in less extreme night conditions. Throughout the five sets, he alternated between panting heavily, vomiting, losing his balance, and battling cramps.
This was not an isolated incident. Just weeks earlier at the Cincinnati Open, Djokovic had struggled in similar evening humidity against another Argentinian opponent, Thiago Agustín Tirante, losing in three sets. After that match, Djokovic attributed his physical issues to a specific health condition exacerbated by heat and humidity.
Djokovic explains health issue
Following the US Open loss, Djokovic reiterated his explanation. "I think it was obvious that an awful feeling on the court for me," he said. "It is something that I've been carrying, unfortunately, pretty much every match this year. You know, vomiting, throwing up, serious issue there, and then my whole body starts to collapse, basically cramping and pain, and the back just gave up in the end, and shoulder, and I couldn't close it out, break up in the fourth, but just struggled all the way since the fourth game of the match. And again, don't want to take too much out of his win. Congrats to him; he's a nice guy, fighter, but you know, I didn't enjoy myself."
The match took a dramatic turn at 4-3 in the first set when rain forced tournament organisers to close the Arthur Ashe Stadium roof. From that point, the spectacle became increasingly uncomfortable. While Navone appeared unaffected, Djokovic used ice cloths to cool down and received pills from a doctor at 5-4 in the opening set.
Navone's dream victory
For Navone, this was the biggest win of his career. The 25-year-old, who considers Djokovic his idol, had fans uncover his 2014 tweets supporting the Serb after the draw was revealed. His parents, who had not planned to attend the US Open, aborted their Caribbean holiday to fly to New York for the match.
Navone, ranked inside the top 50 after nearly dropping out of the top 100 last year, played a composed match, chasing down every ball and maintaining immaculate length off both wings. Despite Djokovic's brilliant serving keeping him in the match for extended periods, the Serb's legs grew heavy in the fourth set, and his first serve deteriorated. By the end, Djokovic had nothing left, and the match concluded with the veteran walking off in tears.
This defeat marks only the third first-round loss of Djokovic's career at a Grand Slam and his first since the 2006 Australian Open, when he was 18 years old. It serves as a stark reminder of the challenges of competing at the highest level at an advanced age.
