At Flushing Meadows, one of sport's most enduring figures walked off a Grand Slam court for perhaps the last time, undone not by a rival's brilliance alone but by a body that could no longer honor the will behind it. Novak Djokovic, 39, fell to Argentine Mariano Navone in five sets across nearly five hours, suffering his earliest major exit in two decades and raising the quiet, heavy question of whether greatness has finally met its limit. The match was less a defeat than a reckoning — a reminder that even the most disciplined human machines are still human.
Djokovic's US Open bid ends in shock first-round loss to Navone
My whole body started to collapse, basically.
Mark
So Djokovic lost in the first round. That's shocking for someone of his stature, but does it really matter that much? He's 39.
Mimi
It matters because of what it reveals. He came to the US Open chasing a record 25th Grand Slam. He's been the best player in the world for most of a decade. First-round exits don't happen to him—this is his earliest major exit in 20 years.
Luke
But let's be clear about what we know and what we're guessing. We know he vomited multiple times, we know he cramped, we know he made 70 unforced errors. He says he has a chronic health issue that worsens in heat and humidity. That's what he's told us. We don't have independent medical confirmation of what that issue actually is.
Mimi
True, but the pattern is consistent. He collapsed in Cincinnati two weeks before. He's been struggling with this all year, by his own account. The physical symptoms are documented—multiple people saw him vomiting on court.
Mark
And Navone—who is he really? Is this a fluke win or is he a legitimate player?
Mimi
He's 25, ranked 49th, and he won his first ATP title earlier this year. He's a real player, but he came in 0-4 in five-set matches. Djokovic was 42-12 in them. On a normal day, Djokovic probably wins that match.
Luke
Probably. But we can't know that. We can only know what happened: Navone played well enough to win, and Djokovic didn't play well enough to beat him. The question of whether Djokovic would have won on a different day is speculation.
Mark
What happens next for Djokovic?
Mimi
That's the real story. He'll drop out of the top 10 for the first time in eight years. And there's this open question—is this his last Grand Slam? He's 39, he's dealing with something his body can't seem to handle, and he's not winning matches.
Luke
He hasn't said he's retiring. We shouldn't write his epitaph yet. But the conditions are there for that to be true. He's the only one who knows.
Il Polso
- Djokovic arrived in New York already compromised, having vomited on court in Cincinnati just weeks earlier while battling a chronic condition that worsens in heat and humidity.
- Despite being visibly ill — flushing crimson, vomiting multiple times courtside — he fought back repeatedly, breaking serve and taking the second and third sets through sheer force of will.
- The turning point came in the fourth set when, after hitting a shot wide, Djokovic landed awkwardly and something physically gave way — his body cramping, his back seizing, his shoulder failing all at once.
- Navone, once 0-4 in five-set matches and a lifelong Djokovic admirer, seized the collapse and won the final two sets 6-2, 6-1, claiming the biggest victory of his career on the sport's grandest stage.
- The defeat will push Djokovic out of the ATP top 10 for the first time in eight years, and leaves the tennis world asking whether this was his final Grand Slam appearance.
At Flushing Meadows, one of sport's most enduring figures walked off a Grand Slam court for perhaps the last time, undone not by a rival's brilliance alone but by a body that could no longer honor the will behind it. Novak Djokovic, 39, fell to Argentine Mariano Navone in five sets across nearly five hours, suffering his earliest major exit in two decades and raising the quiet, heavy question of whether greatness has finally met its limit. The match was less a defeat than a reckoning — a reminder that even the most disciplined human machines are still human.
Novak Djokovic arrived at Flushing Meadows on a humid August evening with history in his sights — a record 25th Grand Slam title still possible. He left four hours and 36 minutes later, beaten by 25-year-old Argentine Mariano Navone, ranked 49th in the world, in a five-set match that felt less like competition and more like a slow unraveling. It was his earliest exit from a major since the 2006 Australian Open.
The match was defined by physical rebellion. Djokovic had already shown signs of a chronic health condition in Cincinnati two weeks prior, where he had vomited during play and spoken of an ailment that worsens in heat and humidity. In New York, despite manageable conditions and the roof eventually being closed, his body refused to cooperate. He vomited multiple times courtside, yet somehow kept fighting — breaking serve, taking the second and third sets, even going a break up in the fourth.
Then something gave way. After a wayward shot, he landed awkwardly, dropped his racket, and the match turned irrevocably. Cramping, a seized back, a failing shoulder — Djokovic won just one more game across the final two sets. He finished with 70 unforced errors. Navone, who had idolized Djokovic growing up and entered the night 0-4 in five-set matches, ran away with the contest and could barely believe it.
In the post-match interview, Djokovic made no excuses but held nothing back either. He described vomiting as a serious issue shadowing nearly every match this year, and spoke plainly of a body that had simply collapsed beneath him. He offered genuine credit to Navone — "He's a nice guy, a fighter" — while acknowledging he had not enjoyed a single moment on court.
The consequences extend well beyond one result. Djokovic will drop out of the ATP top 10 for the first time in eight years. And hanging over professional tennis now is a question no one — perhaps not even Djokovic himself — can answer: Was this the last Grand Slam match of the greatest career the sport has ever seen?
Novak Djokovic walked onto the court at Flushing Meadows on a humid August evening with a chance to chase a record 25th Grand Slam title. He left it four hours and 36 minutes later, defeated by Mariano Navone, a 25-year-old Argentine ranked 49th in the world, in a five-set match that felt less like a contest and more like a slow collapse. The final score was 7-6, 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1. At 39, Djokovic had just suffered his earliest exit from a major tournament since the 2006 Australian Open.
The match itself told a story of a body in rebellion. Djokovic had arrived in New York already weakened by a loss in Cincinnati two weeks earlier, where he had dropped to his knees and vomited during play. He had spoken then of a chronic health issue he had carried for years, one that worsened in heat and humidity. The conditions in New York were warm but manageable—nothing like Cincinnati. Yet within the first set, his face was flushed crimson and sweat soaked through his hair. He had led 3-0 before losing that opening set in a tiebreak after requesting the roof be closed.
What followed was a match defined by physical deterioration. Djokovic vomited by the courtside towel box midway through the second set, yet still managed to break serve at 5-5 and hold to take the set. He was sick again in the third set, despite the air conditioning now running, but still found the will to break Navone's serve and move within one set of victory. The fourth set began with another episode of vomiting. Djokovic broke for 2-1 and seemed to have steadied himself. Then, after hitting a shot wide, he landed awkwardly, dropped his racket, and something inside him simply gave way.
From that moment forward, Navone ran away with the match. Djokovic could barely move. His body was cramping, his back had seized, his shoulder was failing him. He won just one more game across the fourth and fifth sets as Navone, a fighter who had won his first ATP title earlier in the year, seized the opportunity that few would have imagined possible. The Serbian made 70 unforced errors—a staggering number for a player of his caliber. The match ended just before midnight in New York.
Djokovic sat in the post-match interview and did not make excuses, though he could have. "It was obvious that it was an awful feeling on the court for me," he said. He described the vomiting as a serious issue he had carried through nearly every match this year. He spoke of his body collapsing—cramping, pain, his back giving up, his shoulder failing. He had been a break up in the fourth set but could not close it out. "I don't want to take too much out of his win," he added, offering credit to Navone. "Congrats to him. He's a nice guy, a fighter. But I didn't enjoy myself."
Navone, who had grown up idolizing Djokovic, could hardly believe what had happened. "For sure it's the best thing I had on court," he said. "This is an amazing court and the biggest stage." He had come in 0-4 in five-set matches. Djokovic had been 42-12 in them. That record meant nothing on this night.
The loss carries weight beyond the immediate result. Djokovic will fall out of the ATP top 10 for the first time in eight years. More significantly, it raises a question that hangs over professional tennis now: Was this his final Grand Slam match? At 39, battling a chronic condition that his own body seems unable to overcome, with his ranking collapsing and his physical reserves depleted, no one knows the answer—perhaps not even Djokovic himself.
Citazioni salienti
It was obvious that it was an awful feeling on the court for me. Vomiting, throwing up, a serious issue there. Then my whole body started to collapse, basically cramping and pain.— Novak Djokovic
For sure it's the best thing I had on court. This is an amazing court and the biggest stage.— Mariano Navone
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