Djokovic Shockingly Exits US Open First Round Against Navone
Novak Djokovic has made a career out of bending history to his will. On Sunday night in New York, history finally bit back.
For the first time, the 39-year-old crashed out of the US Open in the opening round, beaten in five draining sets by Mariano Navone, 7-6 (5), 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1, in a four-and-a-half-hour contest that ended just before midnight.
It was not just a loss. It was a collapse.
A Champion’s Body Betrays Him
Djokovic, chasing a record-extending 25th Grand Slam title, had been here before this summer. His body had already flashed warning signs in Cincinnati with an early exit. Under the lights at Flushing Meadows, those alarms became deafening.
Across the final two sets, the 24-time major champion looked like a man fighting himself as much as the opponent across the net. He vomited on court at least once. He grimaced through apparent cramps in his left foot. Between the fourth and fifth sets, he needed a medical timeout for treatment on his lower back.
“I didn’t enjoy myself,” Djokovic said afterward. “I think it was obvious that it was an awful feeling on the court for me.
“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. Yeah, the back just gave up in the end and shoulder, and I couldn’t close it out.”
The match had followed a familiar Djokovic script early on. He edged a tight first-set tiebreak, then wrestled control with a 7-5 second and a 6-4 third, grinding Navone down in the rallies and leaning on his experience in the big moments.
Then everything flipped.
Navone Smells Blood
Once Djokovic’s movement dipped and the serve lost its bite, Navone surged. The Argentine, undaunted by the occasion, began to dictate, stepping inside the baseline and punishing short balls. The fourth set raced away from Djokovic, 6-2, as his legs grew heavier and his service games became rescue missions rather than platforms for pressure.
By the decider, the contest had turned brutal. Djokovic’s back and shoulder restricted his swing, his footwork lagged half a step behind the ball, and Navone, sensing the upset of his life, refused to let up. The final set, 6-1, underlined the scale of the physical breakdown.
For a player whose career has been built on resilience, elasticity, and an almost mythic ability to outlast opponents, this was a stark reversal. This is Djokovic’s earliest exit at a Slam since the 2006 Australian Open, when he lost to Paul Goldstein. Twenty years of dominance framed by a reminder that even the greats have limits.
He last lifted a major trophy here in New York in 2023. The search for No. 25 goes on, but now with serious questions about how long his body can keep pace with his ambition.
Buse and Parry Hit New Heights Ahead of New York
While Djokovic’s campaign ended in shock, two rising names arrive at the US Open with momentum and silverware.
Ignacio Buse, 22, became the youngest champion in Winston-Salem Open history, dismantling Arthur Fery 6-3, 6-2 in the final. The victory delivered the second tour-level title of his career and capped a season that has already carried him to a career-high ranking of No. 30.
Buse didn’t just win; he imposed himself. His week in Winston-Salem underlined why he is one of the most intriguing young threats in the men’s game heading into New York.
On the women’s side, Diane Parry finally broke through a stubborn barrier in Monterrey.
The 23-year-old Frenchwoman, previously 0-5 in tour-level semifinals, ripped up that unwanted record by toppling fifth seed Ann Li to reach her first WTA final. She then outlasted Elise Mertens 6-4, 0-6, 6-3 to claim her maiden WTA title at a WTA 500 event.
The scoreline told its own story. Parry absorbed a second-set bagel, steadied herself, and came again in the decider. That resilience defined her entire week.
Parry collected five Top 50 wins en route to the trophy, beating Mertens, Li, Clara Tauson, Oleksandra Oliynykova, and Donna Vekic. It was not a soft draw. It was a statement.
This Week’s Champions
- ATP 250 – Winston-Salem
- Men’s Singles: Ignacio Buse (2/2 in 2026) def. Arthur Fery
- Men’s Doubles: Petr Nouza and Neil Oberleitner def. Austin Krajicek and Nikola Mektic
- WTA 500 – Monterrey
- Women’s Singles: Diane Parry (1/1 in 2026) def. Elise Mertens
- Women’s Doubles: Maya Joint and Yifan Xu def. Mariia Kozyreva and Maia Lumsden
As Djokovic limps away from New York earlier than anyone imagined, Buse and Parry stride in with fresh trophies and growing belief. The era of the old guard is not over yet—but nights like this make you wonder how many more battles their bodies can win.
