Novak Djokovic's Historic U.S. Open Exit Against Mariano Navone

Novak Djokovic staggered, vomited, and finally bowed out. On Arthur Ashe Stadium, the man who has made the impossible look routine for nearly two decades suddenly looked painfully, unmistakably human.

From the opening games of his first-round match against Mariano Navone, something was off. Djokovic, usually a conductor of noise and emotion, barely acknowledged the crowd. His shoulders sagged. He reached for an inhaler, swallowed tablets, bent over between points. The 24-time major champion, the No. 4 seed, looked distressed and drained long before the scoreline turned brutal.

Four hours and 36 minutes later, the score read 7-6(5), 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 to Navone — an Argentine ranked No. 49 in the world, without a single ATP Tour title to his name. Under the closed roof on a wet New York night, the U.S. Open watched one of its defining figures fall at the very first hurdle.

A Giant Topples, Slowly

Djokovic, 39, had not lost in the opening round of a major since 2006, back when his legend was still in pencil rather than ink. On Sunday, his wife Jelena and their children, Stefan and Tara, sat courtside and saw a different kind of history: their husband and father emptied out physically, the match slipping away as his body refused to cooperate.

The timing carried its own sting. Exactly 21 years to the day since he made his U.S. Open debut against Gael Monfils on August 30, 2005, Djokovic walked onto Ashe again as a 10-time finalist in New York, a three-time champion here, and a man still chasing a record 25th major.

He walked off with a wave, a heart sign to the stands, and a slow, almost reluctant farewell as he signed autographs before disappearing down the tunnel.

On ESPN, John McEnroe tried to make sense of the sight. “I think it actually turns out better for him because it shows he’s human,” he said. “It gives you an even greater sense of how amazing his accomplishments were.”

The numbers underline the moment. According to ESPN, this is the first time since 2003 Roland Garros that none of the “Big 3” — Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal — will reach the second week of a major. An era isn’t just fading; it is being forced off the stage by age, injury, and nights like this.

Navone’s Dream, Djokovic’s Ordeal

For Navone, this was the match of a lifetime. He grew up idolizing Djokovic. On Sunday night, he outlasted him.

“This is [an] amazing court on the biggest stage,” Navone told the crowd. “It’s amazing the way we played, I mean five sets against the GOAT is nothing to every day. I’m very happy, what can I say.”

He didn’t hide what it meant. “Novak means a lot for me,” he added. “It was very tough for me because you’re playing with the GOAT on this court here and he is here every day in this court when he plays the U.S. Open. This means a lot, it’s a dream come true. It’s certainly 100%. Now I have to recover, I think it’s almost 12 o’clock, we have to go to sleep.”

The match had the shape of a classic, but the feel of a struggle. Djokovic, who said after his early loss in Cincinnati that he has been “dealing with [a health issue] for many years now,” never looked fully right. He threw up multiple times into the towel bin, twice caught by the cameras in the third and fourth sets. His movement stiffened. Midway through the fourth, he tried repeatedly to stretch out his legs and back, flirting with cramps and frustration.

“This is not much fun for him tonight at all,” Chris Fowler said on ESPN, as Djokovic labored between points.

The Swing and the Collapse

The night began with Djokovic in front. He led 4-2 in the opening set, the script seemingly familiar. Then the errors crept in, the energy dipped, and Navone refused to go away. The Argentine dragged the set into a tiebreak and snatched it 7-6(5), a jolt under the Ashe roof.

The response from Djokovic was what you’d expect — at least for a while. In the second set, Navone held for 5-4 with a 100 mph ace, but when the moment tightened, the Serb pounced. He broke at love for 6-5, then held at love to level the match at one set all. McEnroe, sensing the inevitable, said on air: “And now all of a sudden, he’s starting to look like Novak Djokovic.”

The third set brought the strangest contrast of the night. Djokovic, visibly ill and caught on camera vomiting into the towel bin — prompting “Boot and rally” jokes from James Blake and the ESPN crew — still locked down on serve. He did not face a single break point in the set. At 4-4, he finally broke when Navone netted a forehand on break point. Djokovic turned to the crowd, hand to his ear, summoning noise and familiarity. He served it out for 6-4.

At that point, it looked like the champion had weathered the storm.

The storm hadn’t even started.

Early in the fourth, Djokovic was shown throwing up again. His legs stiffened, his movement dulled, and the rallies began to tilt heavily Navone’s way. The Argentine broke for 4-2 when Djokovic sent a forehand wide, and the set rushed away 6-2. Djokovic’s face told the story: grim, pale, trapped in a body that would not obey.

The fifth set turned brutal. Serving at 0-1, Djokovic slipped to 0-40. He saved two break points but couldn’t chase down a passing shot on the third. Navone broke for 2-0 and never looked back. Djokovic held for 1-3, and the roar that greeted him sounded like a plea as much as support. He looked close to tears, fighting not just Navone, but his own limits.

The scoreboard, ruthless as ever, closed in: 6-1 in the decider. A 39-year-old legend, beaten in five by a man who grew up with his posters on the wall.

What Comes Next?

Djokovic’s résumé remains untouched by one bad night. He is still a 24-time major champion, still the man who beat world No. 1 Jannik Sinner to reach the Australian Open final earlier this year, still the player who made the semifinals at all four majors last season. His last major title came here in New York in 2023. The chase for 25 is not over.

But the questions have changed.

He has spoken of a long-running health issue. He has now vomited on court, stretched through cramps, and bowed out in round one of a major for the first time in 18 years. The Big 3 no longer loom over the second week of Slams. The tour belongs, at least for now, to a younger cast.

On Sunday night, under the closed roof of Arthur Ashe, Novak Djokovic didn’t just lose a tennis match. He gave the sport a glimpse of life after him — and left everyone wondering how many more of these nights he has left.