Novak Djokovic suffered a defeat at the US Open, losing in five sets to Argentina’s Mariano Navone during the opening round at Flushing Meadows in New York City, according to reports from RDS and La Presse. The 24-time Grand Slam champion fell 7-6 (5), 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-1 late Sunday evening, just minutes before midnight local time, marking his earliest exit from a major tournament since the 2006 Australian Open.
Physical Toll and Marathon Match Length
According to RDS, the grueling encounter lasted 4 hours and 36 minutes, making it the longest first-round match of Djokovic’s Grand Slam career. The 39-year-old Serbian star battled severe physical fatigue on the court, vomiting multiple times and requesting a medical timeout for massages and painkillers. In the fifth set, Djokovic appeared to fight back tears while spectators inside the stadium offered sustained applause.
The physical breakdown followed a fluctuating battle where Djokovic initially surrendered a 4-1 lead in the opening set before dropping the tiebreaker 7-6 (5). Though he rebounded to capture the second and third sets 7-5 and 6-4, his stamina dissolved in the later stages. Navone seized control by winning 12 of the first 13 points in the final set to close out the match.
Historical Significance of the Opening-Round Exit
Reporting from La Presse notes that this tournament marks the first time in Djokovic’s career that he has been eliminated in the opening round of the US Open. For the first time since 2006, he also dropped the opening set of his campaign at Flushing Meadows.
With this victory, Navone advances to the second round, where he will face the winner of the match between Italy’s Matteo Berrettini and Swiss veteran Stan Wawrinka, as detailed by RDS.
Medvedev Advances on Day One
Elsewhere at Flushing Meadows, 2021 US Open champion Daniil Medvedev secured a straightforward victory on Sunday. The 30-year-old Russian defeated France’s Hugo Gaston, ranked 91st globally, in straight sets 6-4, 6-2, 6-4. According to RDS, Medvedev joked recently about a potential switch to pickleball amid a lean patch of form on the North American hard-court swing, but expressed satisfaction with his opening performance in New York.
"Ces dernières semaines n’ont pas été faciles, mais aujourd’hui j’ai eu l’impression de tout faire correctement", stated Medvedev, as reported by RDS. The Russian player is scheduled to continue his campaign later in the week.
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