24 time Grand slam champion Novak Djokovic was in tears at the Arthur Ashe Stadium during his Round 1 match. The former champion walked off the court in tears after a painful first-round loss at the 2026 US Open. He suffered a 7-6(5), 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 defeat to Argentina’s Mariano Navone who is ranked No. 49 and just 25 years old. The match went for four hours and 36 minutes under the night lights, with a packed New York crowd watching every tortured step. Djokovic had never lost in the opening round at this tournament. His last first-round Grand Slam exit came all the way back in 2006.
Djokovic tried to hold back his emotions and tears during the fifth set after getting broken. During the match he had to vomit into a courtside bin, cramping, had a back that was troubling him and pain in shoulder that followed he was having all the physical issues he has carried through much of the season. He still managed a smile and a handshake at the net and congratulated Navone on the biggest win of the Argentine’s career. Then the tears came again as he trudged back toward the locker room. This video was posted by Star Sports and went viral on social media.
Mariano Navone holds nerve to beat Novak Djokovic in five sets
Djokovic started the match in an aggressive fashion. He took an early lead in the first set, only for Navone to break back and force a tiebreak. The Argentine did well to win the tie-breaker 7-5 and won the first set. Novak Djokovic came back strongly in the second, as he took the set 7-5 win and was showing more energy with familiar fist pumps and crowd energy. In the third set the physical toll began to show. Djokovic vomited into a towel bin mid-game yet somehow broke serve and managed to win the set 6-4. From the fourth set onwards his movement slowed, the first serve lost its bite, and the cramps arrived. Navone stayed patient and ruthless, winning 11 of the final 12 games. He won the fourth set 6-2 and the match went to a decider.
After going down a break in the decider, Djokovic stood on the baseline with tears in his eyes while the Arthur Ashe crowd tried to lift him one more time. After losing the fifth set 6-1 he still found the energy to congratulate his opponent. The walk off court told the fuller story. It was a very difficult loss for the 24 time grand slam champion and unfortunately his body did not hold up. Vomiting, body collapse, back and shoulder giving out he had been fighting the same issues all year and due to physical issues he had to make an early and shock exit from the 2026 US Open.
