Tennis great Novak Djokovic suffered a stunning first-round defeat at the US Open, losing to Argentina’s Mariano Navone in a dramatic five-set battle.
Navone defeated the fourth-seeded Serbian 7-6 (5), 4-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-3 in a match that lasted around four hours and ended just before midnight ET on Saturday.
The defeat marks Djokovic’s earliest Grand Slam exit in two decades. His previous first-round Grand Slam loss came at the 2006 Australian Open.
Djokovic Struggles Through Gruelling Match
The 24-time Grand Slam champion struggled physically throughout the contest. Djokovic appeared unwell, vomited at least once and later showed signs of cramping.
He received medication during a medical timeout and had his lower back massaged before the decisive fifth set.
Djokovic also struggled to maintain his early advantage. He led 3-0 and later 4-1 in the opening set but failed to close it out.
He eventually lost the first set in a tiebreak, becoming the first time since 2006 that he had dropped the opening set of a US Open match.
Navone Produces Career-Defining Victory
Navone remained composed despite facing one of the greatest players in tennis history.
The Argentine produced a determined performance and capitalised on Djokovic’s physical problems and inconsistent play.
Djokovic finished the match with 70 unforced errors, underlining the difficulties he faced during the contest.
“For sure it’s the best thing I’ve had on court. This is an amazing court and the biggest stage,” Navone said after the victory.
He added that playing against Djokovic was extremely difficult because he was facing the “GOAT” on one of tennis’s biggest stages.
Djokovic Set for Major Ranking Drop
The defeat comes 21 years after Djokovic made his US Open debut.
The Serbian star is now set to fall out of the ATP Top 10 for the first time since July 2018.
Djokovic had entered the tournament as the fourth seed and was hoping to continue his remarkable Grand Slam career.
Instead, his campaign ended in one of the biggest early-round shocks of his career.
