Djokovic Loses to Navone at US Open

Novak Djokovic loses to Mariano Navone 7-6(5), 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 in 4 hours and 36 minutes on Sunday night at Arthur Ashe Stadium. ESPN and Sky Sports both called it the longest opening match of a Grand Slam in Djokovic's career. It is his earliest Slam exit since the 2006 Australian Open, and his first career first-round loss at the US Open.

Djokovic is 39 and a 24-time Slam champion. Navone is 25, from Argentina, ranked No. 49, and won his first ATP title earlier in 2026. ESPN wrote that Navone also picked up his first top-10 win at a Slam. The loss will drop Djokovic out of the ATP Top 10 for the first time since July 2018. This US Open is the first Slam without Djokovic, Roger Federer, or Rafael Nadal in the second round since the 2003 French Open, ESPN noted.

How did Mariano Navone beat Djokovic?

Djokovic led 3-0 and 4-1 in the first set, then blew both leads and lost the breaker 7-5, ESPN wrote. He took the second and third sets, fist-pumped, and asked the crowd for noise. Navone did not go away. Djokovic all but conceded the fourth. In the fifth he could not finish what would have been a 43rd five-set win. Navone closed 6-1 and called it a dream come true on the biggest stage, telling ESPN he was playing the "GOAT" on that court.

The physical toll was public. ESPN said Djokovic threw up at least once, grabbed at his left foot while cramping, swallowed pills from a doctor, and took a medical timeout between the fourth and fifth for a lower-back massage. He made 70 unforced errors. "I think it was obvious that it was an awful feeling on the court for me," Djokovic told ESPN outside the locker room. "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."

What does the Djokovic loss mean for the US Open?

It extends a rough hard-court stretch. Djokovic also lost in the first round in Cincinnati earlier this month, his first action since falling to Jannik Sinner in the Wimbledon semifinals, ESPN wrote. He said Saturday he hoped the Cincinnati exit gave him more time to prepare. Instead he is out before the second round in New York, 21 years to the day of his US Open debut.

The Ashe night card did not stop there. Venus Williams and Sofia Kenin waited through the marathon, then Kenin won in a match that started at 12:13 a.m. That result is on the desk as Kenin beats Venus Williams at the US Open. Searchers typing Djokovic loses Navone or Djokovic US Open exit want 4:36, first-round, Top 10 drop, and the Navone name. That is the story.

Djokovic loses to Navone FAQ

What was the Djokovic vs Navone score? Mariano Navone defeated Novak Djokovic 7-6(5), 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 in 4 hours 36 minutes on Sunday night at Arthur Ashe, per ESPN and Sky Sports.

Has Djokovic lost in the US Open first round before? No. ESPN called it his first career first-round loss at the US Open and his earliest Slam exit since the 2006 Australian Open.

Will Djokovic leave the ATP Top 10? Yes. ESPN reported the defeat will drop him out of the Top 10 for the first time since July 2018.