Novak Djokovic walked off Arthur Ashe Stadium to a standing ovation Sunday night after Mariano Navone beat him 7-6 (5), 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 in the first round of the U.S. Open, a brutal five-set loss that ended with Djokovic throwing up, cramping and grimacing through a match that ran a few minutes before midnight.
The crowd applauded as Djokovic waved goodbye, made a heart shape with his hands and blew kisses. Among those watching were his 11-year-old son Stefan and his 8-year-old daughter Tara, who covered her eyes and loaded her floppy-eared stuffed animal into a bag that went around her shoulder. On the court, Djokovic carried two black bags, one with his rackets and the other with more equipment. The image was all burden, no triumph.
Who Gets Crushed
Djokovic’s loss marked his earliest Grand Slam exit in two decades, dating back to the 2006 Australian Open, and the first time he had ever lost his opener at the U.S. Open. The holder of a men’s record 24 Grand Slam singles titles has now gone three straight years without winning a major, even though his record has otherwise remained fairly competitive since his last Grand Slam title at the 2023 U.S. Open.
That’s the hard edge of elite sport: the body gets used up, the spectacle keeps moving, and the machine asks for one more match anyway. Djokovic has spent this year fighting physical problems, and the calendar has not cared.
After a run to the Australian Open final to start the year, he played little because of an injured right shoulder. He then appeared weakened by a Paris heat wave in a five-set loss to Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca in the third round of the French Open. After that match, Djokovic said, “I was barely standing on my legs toward the end of the match.”
The Body Says No
He revived himself for a run to the semifinals at Wimbledon and then struggled again at the Cincinnati Open this month when he was beaten by 50th-ranked Thiago Agustin Tirante in his opening match. After that loss, Djokovic said an unspecified health condition made it difficult for him to play in hot and humid weather. “It’s just a condition that I have, health-wise, that has been bothering me for the past couple of years,” Djokovic said. “A lot of issues, especially when it is humid and it is hot. … Nerves and everything involved that make it worse.”
Against Navone, those problems showed up midway through the first set. Djokovic appeared to struggle with the heat and humidity. He led early, but Navone got back on serve before the match was briefly halted for the roof to be closed because of light rain. While Djokovic sat during the break, he kept moving an ice pack around his face, head and neck.
Navone won the first set in a tiebreaker, and things got worse from there. Djokovic threw up at least once and later appeared to be cramping when he grabbed at his left foot. He swallowed pills brought to him by a doctor and had his lower back massaged during a medical timeout between the fourth and fifth sets. He grimaced after several shots. He made 70 unforced errors.
“It’s something that I’ve been carrying, unfortunately, pretty much every match this year: vomiting, throwing up, a serious issue there,” Djokovic said. “Then my whole body starts to collapse, basically cramping and pain. Yeah, the back just gave up in the end and shoulder, and I couldn’t close it out.”
What the Record Means
Djokovic hasn’t openly discussed an imminent retirement, but one final hurrah at the Australian Open in January would be a fitting setting for a final send-off. He could also continue competing into his 40s. Djokovic has reached two Grand Slam finals and six semifinals over the last three years.
“I feel when I’m healthy, I’m still able to play as a top-five player, still able to compete at the highest level,” Djokovic said after his semifinal loss to Jannik Sinner at Wimbledon this year.
He is the last man still competing among the Big Three players who dominated the game over the last two decades. Roger Federer, whose knee issues contributed to his retirement in 2022 at age 41, and Rafael Nadal, whose hip issues contributed to his retirement in 2024 at age 38, also struggled with physical problems before they stopped playing. Djokovic’s 24 major titles are two more than Nadal’s 22 and four more than Federer’s 20, numbers that prompt some to consider Djokovic tennis’ GOAT.
Federer said last week, “That’s OK. He has done incredible. It’s amazing what he has been able to do and still now. I would have thought that maybe he was getting to a place where all of a sudden we would see a much bigger decline.”