Novak Djokovic's US Open campaign ended in distress during a first-round match that lasted four hours and 36 minutes. The 39-year-old Serbian star was defeated 7-6 (5), 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 by Argentina's Mariano Navone around midnight, leaving the court in tears.
This marks only the third first-round exit of Djokovic's career and his earliest departure from a Grand Slam since the 2006 Australian Open, when he was 18 years old. The loss came at his record-extending 84th Grand Slam appearance.
The match revealed serious physical struggles for Djokovic. Barely 15 minutes into play, he was already visibly struggling with the conditions. Throughout the five sets, he repeatedly vomited into the towel bin, experienced severe cramping, fought for balance, and appeared disoriented on court. Between panting desperately from the baseline and battling physical deterioration, he looked increasingly helpless as the match progressed.
Djokovic attributed his difficulties to a health condition exacerbated by heat and humidity. He described the experience bluntly after the match: "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."
This was not an isolated incident. Two weeks earlier at the Cincinnati Open, Djokovic struggled similarly against another Argentine player in comparable evening humidity conditions, losing in three sets to Thiago Agustín Tirante, who appeared unaffected by the weather.
On paper, this should have been a favorable draw. Navone, a 25-year-old ranked just inside the top 50, had built most of his success on clay courts. However, the Argentine player proved equal to the challenge. As a longtime admirer of Djokovic, Navone had posted supportive tweets about the Serbian star as a teenager and approached the match with focused intensity. His parents even abandoned a Caribbean holiday to attend after learning of the draw.
Navone played a solid match, maintaining consistent depth from both wings and forcing extended exchanges that Djokovic's deteriorating body could not handle. The younger player chased down every ball and kept the pressure consistently applied.
Despite his physical distress, Djokovic's serving kept him competitive for much of the evening. His exceptional serve allowed him to secure a two-sets-to-one lead through the fourth set, but by that point his legs felt heavy and his first serve began to falter. He could not recover, ultimately walking off court with nothing left to offer.
The defeat underscores the mounting challenges Djokovic faces at 39, competing at tennis's highest level against younger, physically fresher opponents.