Djokovic suffered a shock first-round defeat at the US Open, ending his two-decade winning streak at Grand Slam tournaments. The 39-year-old Serbian star was defeated by Argentina’s Mariano Navone in a five-set battle at Arthur Ashe Stadium 7-6, 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 after four hours and 36 minutes of grinding tennis.
The defeat was one of Djokovic’s few Grand Slam failures. For the first time in 20 years the 24-time Grand Slam champion failed to advance beyond the first round of a major tournament. He had only lost in the first round of a Grand Slam before at the 2006 Australian Open so this victory was particularly significant for him given that he has been at the top of professional tennis for so long.
The match was physically demanding from the start and Djokovic appeared to be in a state of struggle as the match went on. The Serbian veteran was reported to have vomited a couple of times in the match and went to the doctor after the fourth set. His physical state became more and more important as the match went on and Navone maintained his intensity.
Djokovic's troubles came to a head late in the fourth set. He fell behind in the set 6-2 and took a medical timeout before the fifth set. Medical staff attended to the former world No. 1, who was also treated during the match. Yet Djokovic was able to return to the court and fought on.
Djokovic Shows Fighting Spirit
Djokovic never wavered and he fought hard in the second and third sets to achieve a remarkable comeback. He took the second set 7-5 before defeating the third 6-4.
Djokovic had a few of his trademark celebrations during the brief run he went on. He pumped his fist and gestured towards the crowd to get them up for the Arthur Ashe Stadium. For a moment the experienced champion appeared to have once again made his way out of this mess.
But Navone refused to let Djokovic's comeback change the course of the match. The Argentine raised his level in the fourth set and won 6-2, forcing the match into a deciding fifth set. Djokovic’s physical woes were even more apparent, and Navone utilized the opportunity.
Navone Completes Major Upset
Navone dominated the deciding set and moved 4-1 ahead and was just a step away from the biggest win of his career. Djokovic showed signs of getting emotional as his health problems kept him from playing his best. The Serbian broke down and started crying in the final set as he realized defeat was coming.
Navone eventually won the fifth set 6-1 to complete one of the biggest upsets of the tournament. The victory was especially significant in the sense that defeating Djokovic in a Grand Slam is an achievement few players have done, and to get him in the first round is even more remarkable.
The Argentine came to the tournament with confidence of his own. Navone had already won his first ATP singles title earlier in the year, showing that he was capable of playing the best of the best. For Djokovic, he showed remarkable resilience when he lost the second and third sets and kept his focus when the Serbian began to chip away at him.
A Difficult Night for Djokovic
Djokovic's performance in the match statistics also revealed his difficulties. He had 70 unforced errors during the match, a record high for a player who is so consistent and defensive. Navone had no regular precision, and he was also in a bad way physically, so all that kept him from leading the race and eventually taking the game.
At one point Djokovic appeared to land awkwardly after hitting a shot and dropped his racket. He managed to get through the fourth set but fought on in the match, and still played. Djokovic took medication and medical help during the match too.
His wife Jelena Djokovic watched from the stands as the situation unfolded. Her concerned look told us the Serbian star was battling his opponent and his physical limitations.
The defeat will be one of the most unusual moments in Djokovic's Grand Slam history. His remarkable consistency at big tournaments has been one of the defining points in his career, and so a first-round exit after 20 years is particularly striking.
Mariano Navone defeats 24-time Grand Slam Champion Novak Djokovic in five sets. pic.twitter.com/BE8Dn3qC8j
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 31, 2026
For Navone, the victory is a career-defining achievement. If he defeats a player of Djokovic's caliber on one of the biggest stages in tennis, he’ll have a lot of confidence and his reputation would be improved in the process.
Djokovic's US Open campaign may have ended far earlier than expected, but his record at Grand Slam tournaments is still very good. The result also underscores the physical demands of professional tennis and the increasingly competitive nature of the sport. Djokovic is 39 and in competition with a younger generation of players and his latest defeat shows just how difficult it can be to maintain peak performance at the highest level.
