Novak Djokovic suffered his earliest Grand Slam exit in more than two decades Sunday, falling in the first round of the U.S. Open to unseeded Argentine Mariano Navone amid injury and illness.
The 39-year-old had arrived at Flushing Meadows with the aim of winning a fifth title and a record 25th major crown overall but crashed out 7-6(5), 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 to send shockwaves through the final Grand Slam of the year.
Former champion Daniil Medvedev and highest-ranked American Jessica Pegula advanced with little fuss earlier in the day, as players began their campaigns to grab a slice of the record prize purse of $108 million up for grabs.
The last time Djokovic lost in the first round of a Grand Slam was at the Australian Open in 2006 and the Serb did not go down without a fight despite battling shoulder and back problems and vomiting midway through the match.
"I pretty much despised every moment I spent on the court for that," Djokovic told reporters.
