An ailing Novak Djokovic experienced his quickest departure from a Grand Slam tournament in two decades on Sunday, succumbing in five grueling sets to Mariano Navone during the opening round of the US Open.
The 48th-ranked Argentine secured a 7-6 (7/5), 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 triumph, halting Djokovic’s quest for an unprecedented 25th Grand Slam crown—a historic milestone that appears increasingly out of reach for the 39-year-old.
The defeat additionally snapped his consecutive streak of 78 first-round wins at majors, a remarkable run dating back to Djokovic’s defeat against Paul Goldstein at the 2006 Australian Open.
“It was clearly visible that I was feeling terrible out on the court,” remarked Djokovic, who threw up on multiple occasions and struggled with cramps as the match wore on.
“Regrettably, this is an issue I’ve been dealing with in almost every match this season. Nausea and vomiting have become a major obstacle. Consequently, my physical state deteriorates, leading to cramping and intense pain.
“Ultimately, my back simply failed me, along with my shoulder, preventing me from sealing the victory.”
Djokovic, who ingested medicine mid-match, seemed to have finally seized command when he broke Navone’s serve to lead 2-1 in the fourth set, courtesy of a classic down-the-line backhand winner.
However, Navone rattled off the subsequent five games, triumphantly hoisting his arms after saving a pair of break points to lead 5-2, before breaking Djokovic once more to send the encounter into a deciding fifth set.
Prior to the final set, Djokovic requested a medical timeout to receive treatment on his spine and take additional medication.
Yet Navone raced ahead to a 3-0 advantage in the decider, and even with the crowd rallying behind the Serbian, no comeback materialized as his opponent conceded only a single point on his service games while cruising to victory.
A four-time champion in New York, Djokovic had never previously exited Flushing Meadows before the third round, though he had displayed vulnerabilities during his sole warm-up tournament, where physical struggles led to an opening-round loss in Cincinnati.
Despite establishing a 4-1 cushion in the opening set, Djokovic was visibly off-color. He appeared breathless after each exchange, eventually losing the set with a poor forehand that found the net.
During a high-strung second set, Djokovic squandered break opportunities in the third and fifth games, but later broke Navone to love for a 6-5 advantage, subsequently holding his serve to love to tie the match at one set all.
The third set followed a similar script, with Djokovic securing a vital break of serve in the ninth game before saving a break point in the following game to move ahead two sets to one.
This temporary turnaround dismissed any initial thoughts he had of pulling out of the match.
“Indeed I did, I truly did,” he admitted when questioned about whether he considered retiring. “However, I managed to take a set and then the third one. I simply refused to quit.”
But resolve alone was insufficient. Leading 2-1 in the fourth set, he was suddenly seized by cramps, resulting in a devastating streak where he dropped eight consecutive games.
– Pegula and Medvedev progress –
Djokovic exited the arena to loud applause, roughly twelve hours after world number three Jessica Pegula overcame her opening-round jitters to eliminate Elena-Gabriela Ruse 6-3, 6-2.
“Absolutely, my nerves were acting up today, which is always the case in the opening round of a major,” explained Pegula, who has collected two trophies this season and contested three additional finals.
Her remarkably steady form positions her to potentially secure not only her maiden Grand Slam championship but also the top spot in the world rankings.
The seventh-seeded former tournament winner Daniil Medvedev likewise progressed, securing a comfortable 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 win against French opponent Hugo Gaston.
This performance stood in stark contrast to Medvedev’s opening-round collapse and exit last season, offering an encouraging display in a year that has yielded inconsistent outcomes for the Russian.
“I felt like I executed my game plan exactly as intended,” he stated.
Meanwhile, intense drama unfolded on other courts.
Dino Prizmic warded off two match points to secure a thrilling 2-6, 6-3, 6-3, 5-7, 7-5 win over Aleksandr Shevchenko.
Additionally, Spain’s Jaume Munar battled for close to five hours to claim a hard-fought 6-7 (5/7), 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (7/4), 7-5 win against Frenchman Terence Atmane.
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