For the first time in over 20 years, Novak Djokovic has suffered a first round defeat at a Grand Slam after falling in five sets to Argentina’s Mariano Navone at the US Open.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion struggled with his fitness and was sick multiple times throughout his marathon 7-6(5), 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 loss, which lasted four hours and 36 minutes. Djokovic was leading the match by two sets to one and had a break advantage early in the fourth game before rapidly fading away on court. This resulted in Navone coming back and claiming his first win over a top-10 player at a major event.
A wary-looking Djokovic vomited during the third set before his movement was hampered in the next two by back and shoulder issues. Overall, he produced 70 unforced errors, which was more than twice the amount of Navone (34).
“It was an awful feeling on the court for me,” Djokovic said of his latest match.
“It’s something that I’ve been carrying, unfortunately, pretty much every match this year. Vomiting, throwing up, a serious issue there.
“Then my whole body starts to collapse, basically cramping and pain. The back just gave up in the end and shoulder, and I couldn’t close it out.”
Earlier this month, the 39-year-old confirmed he is dealing with an ongoing health condition after losing his opening match at the Cincinnati Open. However, he did not reveal any specifics about the problem, apart from confirming he has been dealing with it ‘for a couple of years.’
“I’m trying. Let’s see,” he replied when asked if he is working on fixing his stomach issue.
Djokovic entered his 20th US Open with a perfect 37-0 record in the first two rounds of the tournament. He is a four-time champion at the event, becoming the oldest man to win it in 2023.
The only positive from his match was the large amount of support he received from the crowd.
“When it comes to the match and the overall feeling of how I felt it was really not enjoyable. I pretty much despised every moment that I spent on the court for that,” Djokovic commented.
“But from the perspective of the crowd and support, it was incredible from the beginning.
“They were trying to lift me up in important moments, and I’m very sorry that I didn’t perform as well as I wanted to for them. But the love and appreciation they gave me in the end really touched my heart.”
Navone will play either Stran Wawriunka or Matteo Berrettini in the second round. He is the first Argentine player to beat Djokovic at a major event since 2005, when Guillermo Coria did so at the French Open.
