WHAT HAPPENED
Mariano Navone upset Novak Djokovic in a five-set stunner on Sunday night at the 2026 US Open, handing the 24-time Grand Slam champion his first opening-round defeat at a Grand Slam since 2006.
Navone earned a 7-6(5), 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 win in Arthur Ashe Stadium, pulling away in the final two sets as Djokovic struggled physically.
"I think it was obvious that it was an awful feeling on the court for me," said Djokovic. "It’s something that I’ve been carrying, unfortunately, pretty much every match this year—vomiting, throwing up, serious issue there. And then my whole body starts to collapse, basically, cramping and pain.
"Yeah, the back just gave up in the end, and the shoulder, and I couldn’t close it out. I was a break up in the fourth, but just struggled all the way, since the fourth game of the match."
The fourth-seeded Djokovic, a four-time US Open champion, looked out-of-sorts after a solid start in a four-hour, 36-minute match, the Serbian's longest first-rounder ever in a major.
The physical troubles that waylaid the Serb in a recent loss at Cincinnati visited once again, as energy and winners were in short supply.
Instead of Djokovic, 39, playing on in his quest for a record 25th Grand Slam singles victory, he was turned back by an Argentine clay-court specialist with one ATP title and two career US Open wins to his name.
“It means a lot,’’ an ecstatic Navone said. “It is a dream come true, certainly.”
Whether that was Djokovic’s swan song at Flushing Meadows remains to be seen. But from what the capacity Ashe crowd saw from Djokovic, it was clear he was challenged to keep pace with his much-younger opponent.
It was the first time in Djokovic’s 20 US Open appearances that he was bounced in the first round, and just the third time in his career after his first two appearances at the Australian Open, in 2005 and 2006.
Navone, 25, a quick, dynamite defender ranked No. 49, showed a surprising pulse in the first set, despite being in a 1-3 hole, when he seized three break points. But Djokovic secured five straight points to grab a 4-1 edge.
Navone rallied to get back on serve, 4-3, and then a nearly 10-minute delay arrived when the roof was closed. That was enough time for Djokovic to seemingly get right, but Navone didn’t go away in forcing a tiebreak.
Navone gladly took advantage of Djokovic’s 17 first-set unforced errors, the last one coming on set point when he missed an easy forehand to hand Navone the set.
That was a sign of what lay ahead.
Djokovic took the second set, but it wasn’t easy and it came minus the usual fire and showmanship he displays. Instead it was more of a workmanlike effort, as at times it seemed Djokovic, who would convert but four of his 12 break-point chances, was struggling to find that extra gear.
Maybe he was playing possum as he broke Navone to take a 6-5 lead, the set’s only service break, and then he served it out.
Maybe Djokovic’s roller-coaster effort was a by-product of his lack of recent participation. At his advanced tennis age, Djokovic’s playing calendar is sparse, with his focus and preparation aimed at the Grand Slam events.
Maybe that caught up with him? Maybe Father Time tapped him on the shoulder, as he battled nausea and cramps? Maybe it was just Djokovic being Djokovic as he often toys with rivals, and fans, before seizing control.
At the match’s three-hour mark, in the third set, he broke Navone to go ahead 5-4, got a roar from the crowd and became animated for the first time. He served out the set as the spring returned to his legs and the power to his groundstrokes.
In the fourth, Navone, who converted six of his 17 break-point chances, broke Djokovic twice in his first three service games and grabbed the set as Djokovic took a medical timeout before the fifth.
Djokovic, who had 70 unforced errors, wasn’t able to answer in his last chance to turn the tide. It was clear he was compromised physically, mentally and emotionally as Navone steamrolled him in the fifth set for the biggest win of his career.
Whether it was the celebrated Djokovic’s last appearance at the US Open will be determined. Navone’s massive upset won’t soon be forgotten.
Djokovic slowly left the court, waving goodbye to the cheering crowd and making the heart signal with his hands. He signed a handful of autographs on his way out and then he was gone, two heavy tennis bags slung over his shoulders as he let Navone bask in his signature win.
WHAT IT MEANS
Primarily, Margaret Court’s record of 25 Grand Slam titles is safe for at least another year as Djokovic’s latest bid to surpass her was crushed. After a scratchy appearance in his only North American hard court appearance this summer—an opening-match loss to another Argentine, Thiago Agustin Tirante, in Cincinnati—it’s clear that unsettling showing wasn’t just a mirage of Djokovic’s summer status.
Many thought that shocking defeat was a blessing, as it cleared Djokovic’s calendar to get his frame, and mind, right for an extended US Open run. Instead, in the Big Apple, Djokovic looked like the same player that struggled while competing in the harsh Ohio weather.
There were many moments when the 39-year-old's lackluster body language was age-appropriate. Djokovic’s fitness and stamina are seldom questioned. But after two straight unlikely defeats, the end could be near for one of the game’s all-time greats.
With world No. 1 Jannik Sinner (knee) out and defending champion Carlos Alcaraz (wrist) returning from a four-month layoff, this was a prime opportunity for Djokovic to make another US Open run. Instead, it was the speedy Navone that sprinted into the next round.
MATCH POINT
With the stunning triumph, Navone enters the second round, where another veteran will await in three-time major winner Stan Wawrinka or Italy's Matteo Berrettini.
Either way, Navrone’s toughest rival might be himself as in two days he must get off the high of beating Djokovic and get his focus back on the draw.
“This is amazing on the biggest stage,’’ Navrone said of his upset win. “It’s amazing with this crowd, in Arthur Ashe, it is unbelievable.”
