Novak Djokovic exits US Open following five-set loss to Mariano Navone
2 sources • 2 min read • Latest: Aug 31, 2026, 7:46 PM
Last updated Aug 31, 2026
Novak Djokovic exited the US Open in the first round Sunday night after a five-set defeat to Mariano Navone. The 39-year-old tennis player struggled with physical discomfort and cramping during the match held in humid conditions at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Following the loss, Djokovic raised questions about his ability to continue competing at the highest level while managing an underlying health issue. The result marks his earliest departure from a grand slam tournament since he was a teenager. Despite the setback, the Serbian player has previously expressed an intention to compete until the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Djokovic’s ranking is set to drop outside the top 10 for the first time since 2018 as he prepares for the next phase of his career.
- •Novak Djokovic lost to Mariano Navone in a five-set match at the US Open.
- •The 39-year-old experienced physical distress including cramping and vomiting during the match.
- •The defeat represents his earliest grand slam tournament exit since his teenage years.
- •His world ranking will fall outside the top 10 for the first time since 2018.
- •Djokovic continues to evaluate his physical health before planning for future tournaments.
- 2:33 PMCNN — The tears that might make Novak Djokovic reconsider his tennis future - CNN
- 7:46 PMThe Guardian Sport — Is this defeat at the US Open the one that forces Novak Djokovic to reconsider his end game? | Tumaini Carayol
- 12:54 PMYahoo Sports — Novak Djokovic’s US Open defeat was tough to watch – the question he now faces is even harder
"The Serb has his heart set on defending Olympic title in 2028 but his ageing body is screaming a resounding ‘no’ As the scoreline continued to cascade and the prospect of Novak Djokovic winning even one match in New York this year became increasingly remote, the 24-time grand slam title winner’s suffering and toil drove the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd to its feet in the early hours of Monday morning. With Djokovic trailing 3-1 in the fifth set, thousands of spectators stood in unison to salute their champion and urge him on. The moment reduced Djokovic to tears. This was quite a familiar scene. Five years ago, the same crowd similarly offered a tearful Djokovic a standing ovation as his match against Daniil Medvedev slipped away. The circumstances surrounding those results, however, could have hardly been any different. Back in 2021, Djokovic stood three sets away from winning the calendar year grand slam, the ultimate achievement. Here, he was losing in the first round of the US Open against a clay-court specialist ranked outside the top 50, an opponent he would usually crush with disdain. Continue reading...
"Djokovic appears set on finishing his career at the 2028 Olympics but he must decide whether he can stomach the painful scenes that accompanied his first-round defeat to Mariano Navone in New York
"With tears filling his eyes and his body failing beneath him, you couldn’t help but feel Sunday’s US Open defeat marked a pivotal moment in Novak Djokovic’s career.
Sources
External links- CNNSep 1, 2026, 2:33 PMThe tears that might make Novak Djokovic reconsider his tennis future - CNN
With tears filling his eyes and his body failing beneath him, you couldn’t help but feel Sunday’s US Open defeat marked a pivotal moment in Novak Djokovic’s career.
- The Guardian SportAug 31, 2026, 7:46 PMIs this defeat at the US Open the one that forces Novak Djokovic to reconsider his end game? | Tumaini Carayol
The Serb has his heart set on defending Olympic title in 2028 but his ageing body is screaming a resounding ‘no’ As the scoreline continued to cascade and the prospect of Novak Djokovic winning even one match in New York this year became increasingly remote, the 24-time grand slam title winner’s suffering and toil drove the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd to its feet in the early hours of Monday morning. With Djokovic trailing 3-1 in the fifth set, thousands of spectators stood in unison to salute their champion and urge him on. The moment reduced Djokovic to tears. This was quite a familiar scene. Five years ago, the same crowd similarly offered a tearful Djokovic a standing ovation as his match against Daniil Medvedev slipped away. The circumstances surrounding those results, however, could have hardly been any different. Back in 2021, Djokovic stood three sets away from winning the calendar year grand slam, the ultimate achievement. Here, he was losing in the first round of the US Open against a clay-court specialist ranked outside the top 50, an opponent he would usually crush with disdain. Continue reading...
- Yahoo SportsAug 31, 2026, 12:54 PMNovak Djokovic’s US Open defeat was tough to watch – the question he now faces is even harder
Djokovic appears set on finishing his career at the 2028 Olympics but he must decide whether he can stomach the painful scenes that accompanied his first-round defeat to Mariano Navone in New York
Original reporting and copyright belong to the linked sources. SportsNewsReport.com aggregates and links — it does not republish full articles.
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