Djokovic Stunned by Navone in Historic US Open First-Round Exit

A Night to Forget at Flushing Meadows

The 2026 US Open produced its most stunning result on the opening Monday night when Novak Djokovic, the four-time champion and No. 4 seed, fell to Argentine world No. 49 Mariano Navone in five sets, 7-6(5), 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1. The match stretched across four hours and 36 minutes — the longest first-round match Djokovic has ever played at a Grand Slam — and ended in the early hours of the New York night.

It was Djokovic's earliest exit from a major since the 2006 Australian Open, ending a streak of 78 consecutive Grand Slam first-round wins. More strikingly, no player had ever beaten Djokovic in the opening round at Flushing Meadows before Navone did so on August 31.

Illness Derails the Record Chase

The 39-year-old Serb arrived in New York chasing a record 25th Grand Slam singles title, a number that still eludes him. But on the night, a chronic condition was brutally exposed by the heat and humidity of Arthur Ashe Stadium. "Vomiting, throwing up, a serious issue there. Then my whole body started to collapse, basically cramping and pain," Djokovic said after the match. He made 70 unforced errors across the five sets, a figure that tells its own story.

After trading the first three sets in tense fashion, Djokovic visibly wilted in the fourth. Navone, who entered the night with a career record of 0-4 in five-set matches, sensed his moment and ran away with both the fourth and fifth sets with clinical precision. The result also pushed Djokovic out of the world top 10 for the first time in eight years.

Navone's Breakthrough on the Biggest Stage

For Mariano Navone, 25, it was the defining win of his career. The Argentine had already claimed his first ATP singles title earlier in 2026 but had never defeated a top-10 player at a Grand Slam. Beating the most decorated player in tennis history — in the first round of a Grand Slam, on hard court, over nearly five hours — is a different category entirely.

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Navone now advances to the second round of the US Open, where the draw has opened up considerably in his section following Djokovic's exit. A player ranked 49th in the world has rarely found himself with such a realistic path through a major's early rounds.

The Title Picture Reshuffled

Djokovic's departure leaves No. 2 seed Carlos Alcaraz and No. 8 seed Ben Shelton as the headline names in the bottom half of the men's draw. With No. 1 seed Jannik Sinner already absent due to a knee injury suffered before the tournament, the path to the title is unusually open for those still standing. Alcaraz, who beat Jaime Faria 4-6, 6-0, 6-3, 6-2 to reach the third round, will enter any potential deep run as the front-runner — provided the wrist that kept him out for four months earlier this year holds up. The story of the 2026 US Open's first week belongs, however, unmistakably to Navone.