Novak Djokovic has been eliminated from the US Open 2026 in the first round, after losing to the Argentine Mariano Navone in a five-set match that lasted four hours and 36 minutes. The Serbian, 39 years old, had not fallen in his debut in a Grand Slam since 2006.
Navone, ranked 49th in the world, won 7-6(5), 5-7, 6-4, 6-2 and 6-1 and thus achieved the most important victory of his career. Djokovic had been leading the match two sets to one, but his physical performance clearly declined during the second half of the match.
Djokovic falls again in the first round of a Grand Slam
The defeat has a historical component for the Serbian. It has been 20 years since Djokovic last lost in the first round of a Grand Slam tournament.
That elimination occurred at the Australian Open in 2006. Since then, the Serbian had built extraordinary consistency in the four major tournaments.
At the US Open, moreover, this defeat means saying goodbye to New York before the third round for the first time in his career. Djokovic had won the American tournament four times and arrived at this edition with the goal of continuing to pursue what would have been his 25th Grand Slam title.
Navone survives a match of over four hours
The Argentine had to overcome a particularly demanding match.
After losing the third set, Djokovic began to show physical problems and Navone took advantage of the situation to take control of the match. The fifth set ended with a resounding 6-1 for the Argentine.
The result makes Navone one of the main protagonists of the first day of the US Open and allows him to advance to the second round of the tournament.
Physical problems affect Djokovic
The Serbian suffered from various physical problems during the match, including cramps, back pain, and shoulder issues, as well as episodes of vomiting. The difficulties particularly affected his serve and his ability to maintain intensity in the rallies.
Djokovic had already arrived at the US Open with doubts about his physical condition after his defeat in Cincinnati against the Argentine Thiago Tirante.
The elimination thus represents another setback in a season in which the Serbian has had difficulties maintaining competitive continuity. In 2026 he reached the semifinals of Wimbledon and was a finalist at the Australian Open, but he has also suffered several early defeats.
The US Open is thus left without one of its great favorites and Navone advances to the second round after signing the biggest victory of his career.