In a historic Sunday night upset at the US Open, Mariano Navone handed Novak Djokovic — the most decorated men’s player in tennis history — his first opening-round major defeat in 20 years with a 6-7, 7-5, 6-4, 2-5, 1-6 victory.
Pushing his body to the absolute limit, the Serbian legend battled a severe case of dehydration that caused him to throw up at least three times. He relied on multiple medical timeouts for backaches, an inhaler and pills just to stay on the court. Refusing to surrender to his compounding ailments, he displayed his legendary grit, battling for four hours and 36 minutes before finally succumbing in a five-set defeat.
After his excruciating loss, Djokovic broke his silence.
“I despised every moment I was on the court,” Djokovic told a small group of reporters after the loss, via Yahoo Sports’ Dan Wolken.
When asked if he could fix his ongoing ailment, he had a rather blunt answer.
“I don’t know, man. I’m trying.”
US Open: Novak Djokovic Eliminated
Many gave Djokovic a puncher’s chance to win his 25th major at Flushing Meadows, given that World No. 1 Jannik Sinner pulled out with a knee injury and reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz entered the event after missing four months with a wrist injury. However, the fourth-seeded Serbian seemed like a shell of his great self from the very onset on Sunday, suffering an early break of serve and committing a series of unforced errors against the lower-ranked Argentine.
While he did well to win the second and third sets, Djokovic could not sustain whatever little energy he had in the tank. Ultimately, he suffered his first opening-round loss at a major since the 2006 Australian Open, and his only first-round loss at Flushing Meadows since the 2005 US Open when he was an 18-year-old teenager.
Djokovic, who committed 70 unforced errors in the match, admitted that Sunday’s experience was one of the lowlights of his storied career.
“I didn’t enjoy myself,” he said, via ESPN.
“I think it was obvious that it was an awful feeling on the court for me.”
Novak Djokovic Health Concerns
In the lead up to the US Open, Djokovic raised alarms when he said he’s been dealing with multi-year health issue when playing in hot and humid conditions.
He reiterated those concerns after Sunday’s loss.
“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.”
Sunday’s defeat snaps Djokovic’s impressive streak of deep Grand Slam runs at the latter stage of his career. While he hasn’t captured a major since 2024, he remains a formidable presence on the Tour, having reached the final of this year’s Australian Open, the semifinals at Wimbledon and the final four of all four majors last year.
“Just struggled all the way since the fourth game of the match,” Djokovic said after the loss. “When it comes to match itself and overall feeling of how I felt with body and playing, it was really not enjoyable.”
Novak Djokovic Breaks Silence After Shocking US Open Exit