Novak Djokovic’s pursuit of another piece of Grand Slam history came to a startling halt before the 2026 US Open had barely gotten started.
The 24-time major champion was eliminated in the first round by Argentina’s Mariano Navone, who completed the biggest victory of his career with a 7-6 (5), 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 triumph in New York.
The marathon lasted 4 hours and 36 minutes, but the numbers alone hardly capture how dramatically the match changed.
Djokovic initially appeared capable of surviving another long night on one of tennis’ biggest stages. After dropping a tight opening set, he fought back to claim the second and third and moved within one set of advancing.
Then the match turned.
Physical problems increasingly hampered the 39-year-old Serbian. Djokovic dealt with sickness, apparent cramping and back trouble as the contest progressed, while his error count continued climbing. He ultimately finished with 70 unforced errors.
Navone took full advantage.
The 25-year-old Argentine stormed through the fourth set 6-2 and carried that momentum into the deciding set. With Djokovic unable to rediscover his earlier level, Navone raced through the fifth 6-1 to complete a career-defining upset.
The result shattered several remarkable Djokovic streaks.
He had never previously lost in the opening round of the US Open, entering the match with a 19-0 record at that stage of the tournament. He had also won 78 consecutive first-round matches at Grand Slam events, a run stretching back to his loss at the 2006 Australian Open.
For Navone, the victory represented another milestone entirely. He entered the night without a five-set victory on the ATP Tour and left having defeated one of the most accomplished players tennis has ever seen. It was also just his second career victory against a Top 10 opponent.
The consequences for Djokovic extend beyond one painful night in New York. The defeat is expected to knock him outside the ATP Top 10 for the first time since 2018.
More significantly, his wait for a record-extending 25th Grand Slam singles championship continues. Djokovic has now gone 12 consecutive majors without winning a title, matching the longest Grand Slam drought of his career.
For years, Djokovic built his reputation around finding another level when matches became physically and mentally punishing. This time, his body would not cooperate and Navone refused to blink.
The US Open has its first seismic upset, and Djokovic suddenly has much larger questions to answer than how he lost one tennis match.
