Novak Djokovic lost in the first round of the US Open on the tournament's opening day, August 30, beaten in five sets by Argentina's Mariano Navone on Arthur Ashe Stadium. Navone won 7-6(5), 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 in 4 hours and 36 minutes, the longest opening-round match of Djokovic's Grand Slam career, according to Sky Sports.
Djokovic, 39, had not lost in the opening round of a major since the 2006 Australian Open, and had never lost a first-round match at the US Open in his career. He holds 24 Grand Slam singles titles and has been chasing a record-breaking 25th; that pursuit now carries into 2027.
Djokovic led the match. After dropping a first-set tiebreak, he took the second and third sets to move ahead two sets to one, and broke early in the fourth. He then vomited on court, cramped, and required medical attention on his left foot and lower back. He won five games across the final two sets and was in tears during the decider, unable to serve or move normally by the end.
"I didn't enjoy myself," Djokovic said afterward. "It's something that I've been carrying, unfortunately, pretty much every match this year. Vomiting, throwing up, a serious issue there."
Navone, the world No. 49, was playing his first match on Arthur Ashe Stadium. "It was very tough for me because you are playing with the 'GOAT' on this court," he said. "This is an amazing court and the biggest stage."
Djokovic arrived in New York having reached the Wimbledon semi-finals in July, where Jannik Sinner beat him 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 to reach the final. He had gotten there by surviving five sets against Felix Auger-Aliassime in the quarter-finals, and in May he had opened his Roland-Garros campaign by beating Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in four sets.
Source: Sky Sports
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