Serbia's Novak Djokovic (R) congratulates Argentina's Mariano Navone after losing the match during the men's singles first round tennis match on day one of the US Open tennis tournament at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City on August 30, 2026.
Ailing Novak Djokovic suffered his earliest Grand Slam exit in 20 years on Sunday, falling in five brutal sets to Mariano Navone in the first round of the US Open.
The 48th-ranked Argentine’s 7-6 (7/5), 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 victory ended Djokovic’s latest bid for a record 25th Grand Slam title, the monumental achievement looking ever less likely for the 39-year-old.
It also ended his run of 78 Grand Slam first-round victories, a streak stretching all the way back to Djokovic’s 2006 loss to Paul Goldstein at the 2006 Australian Open.
“I think it was obvious that it was an awful feeling on the court for me,” said Djokovic, who vomited several times and battled late-match cramps.
