A Historic and Heartbreaking Night on Arthur Ashe

Novak Djokovic's 2026 US Open ended before it truly began, as the 39-year-old Serbian legend lost to Argentina's Mariano Navone 7-6(5), 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 in a grueling four-hour, 36-minute battle on Sunday night. It marked the first time Djokovic had lost in the opening round at Flushing Meadows, and his first first-round Grand Slam defeat since the 2006 Australian Open, snapping a remarkable run that had stretched across two decades. The crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium gave Djokovic a standing ovation as he left the court, and he paused to sign autographs despite clearly being in considerable distress.

Djokovic, seeded fourth, appeared physically compromised from early on. He vomited into a towel bin courtside multiple times and received a medical timeout between the fourth and fifth sets, where a doctor treated his lower back. He was also seen grabbing at his left foot, suggesting cramping had set in. Despite clawing back to win the second and third sets and breaking early in the fourth, he collapsed spectacularly down the stretch. Navone won 11 of the last 12 games to close out the match. Perhaps the most striking moment came during the fifth set, when Djokovic, trailing badly, broke down in tears in front of a packed crowd.

Questions Linger Over Djokovic's Future

After the match, Djokovic was candid about a recurring health problem. He described vomiting and cramping as issues he had been managing throughout 2026, made worse by humid conditions, which New York delivered in full on Sunday. He had experienced similar troubles at the Cincinnati Open just weeks earlier. With his defeat, Djokovic also dropped out of the top 10 in the world rankings for the first time in eight years, having defended 800 points from last year's semifinal run. His pursuit of a record 25th Grand Slam singles title, which would move him past Margaret Court, now faces serious uncertainty. Djokovic said after the loss that he was reassessing how much further he can continue competing at this level. TennisDraw users who had backed Djokovic to make a deep run will be rethinking their bracket predictions after this dramatic and emotional exit.