Novak Djokovic had never lost in the first round of the US Open and had not lost in the first round of any Grand Slam tournament since the 2006 Australian Open.

Both of those streaks came to an end on the evening of the 30th of August, when the No. 4 seed was beaten by Mariano Navone, an Argentine ranked No. 49 in the world, 7-6 (5), 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 over four hours and 36 minutes of play at the Arthur Ashe Stadium.

It was Djokovic’s earliest exit from a Major in 20 years and it leaves the 39-year-old 3 years without a Grand Slam title since his fourth US Open crown in 2023.

Image – Novak Djokovic Paris 2024 Olympic Games / Andymiah, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Age Beats Everyone

There is no question that Novak Djokovic will be remembered as one of the best tennis players of all time, even if more than a few people have little sympathy for him after his anti-vaccination stance during the Covid-19 pandemic. With a tennis racket in his hand, there is virtually no one that Djokovic hasn’t been able to beat, but Father Time is the only player who remains undefeated. What beat him in the US Open, therefore, wasn’t really the tennis played by Mariano Navone, as good as it was on the day, but rather Djokovic’s own ailing body.

The Serbian, in a manner befitting a man with 24 majors to his name, but lost the second set before taking the third to lead 2-1 in sets. From there, though, his own body took over. He vomited more than once, cramped through his back and shoulder and needed a medical timeout between the fourth and fifth sets for a doctor’s pills and a lower back massage. He still finished the match, losing the last two sets 6-2 and 6-1 whilst racking up 70 unforced errors, but at one stage, down a break in the decider, he stood behind the baseline in tears.

No Longer Enjoying His Tennis

Djokovic did not dress it up afterwards. He said, “I didn’t enjoy myself, it was an awful feeling on the court for me. Vomiting, throwing up, a serious issue there, and then my whole body starts to collapse, basically cramping and pain.” Navone will remember this as the biggest win of his career, calling it exactly that in the post-match interview. He said, “It is a dream come true.”

Beating Djokovic in round one of a Major used to require another player’s best tennis and a great deal of luck. This time, it didn’t really need either. The US Open has added a name to the list of players who have defeated Djokovic before the first week of the tournament was finished, with many tennis fans wondering if this is the beginning of the end for a man who once seemed like an unbeatable machine.