NEW YORK – Novak Djokovic suffered his earliest Grand Slam exit in more than two decades when the 39-year-old Serbian was stunned by unseeded Argentine Mariano Navone in the first round of the US Open on Sunday. Djokovic, chasing a fifth US Open crown and a record 25th Grand Slam title, battled through shoulder and back problems before succumbing 7-6(5), 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 in a dramatic five-set encounter at Arthur Ashe Stadium. The defeat marked Djokovic’s first opening-round loss at a Grand Slam since the 2006 Australian Open and ended hopes of another deep run at Flushing Meadows.
The former world No. 1 also struggled with illness, vomiting during the match, but continued to fight despite his physical discomfort. “I pretty much despised every moment I spent on the court for that,” Djokovic said afterwards. Navone, ranked 49th in the world, recovered from an early setback to produce the biggest victory of his career against his childhood idol. “I was 0-3 down, feeling a bit nervous out of respect for the star I was up against,” Navone said. “It’s tough to play against Novak, he’s an idol. It’s incredible what I’m feeling; it’s all so exciting. It’s mad.”
Earlier, former champion Daniil Medvedev began his campaign with a convincing 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 victory over French qualifier Hugo Gaston. After early exits in Montreal and Cincinnati, the Russian welcomed a strong start in New York. “The last couple of weeks were not easy,” Medvedev said. “I’m happy that today I managed to produce high-level tennis.”
World No. 3 and 2024 finalist Jessica Pegula also advanced comfortably, defeating Romania’s Elena-Gabriela Ruse 6-3, 6-2. She will next face fellow American Sofia Kenin, who defeated veteran Venus Williams 6-2, 7-6(6) in a match that began at 12:13 a.m., the latest start for a women’s singles match in US Open history. Two-time Grand Slam champion Barbora Krejcikova became the first seeded player to exit, despite saving six match points before losing to Kamilla Rakhimova 7-6(4), 6-2. Italy’s Jasmine Paolini survived a scare against Slovenia’s Veronika Erjavec, winning 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, while Czech Jiri Lehecka, Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk and Elina Svitolina also progressed. Former US Open champion Marin Cilic and 2022 runner-up Casper Ruud withdrew because of injuries, adding to the early drama at the season’s final Grand Slam.