Djokovic stunned by Mariano Navone in first-round U.S. Open upset
Novak Djokovic was beaten by Mariano Navone in the first round of the U.S. Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on August 30, 2026, losing 7-6 (5), 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 in a match that lasted four hours and 36 minutes.
The 39-year-old Djokovic exited the tournament at the earliest stage of a Grand Slam in two decades, a first-round loss he had never suffered at the U.S. Open. The match was the longest opening-round contest of Djokovic’s Grand Slam career, and the defeat fell 21 years to the day after his U.S. Open debut; he entered the event as the No. 4 seed and is the record holder with 24 major titles.
Navone, 25, produced a five-set performance to claim his first five-set victory and deny Djokovic what would have been the Serb’s 43rd such win. Earlier in the season Navone won his first ATP singles title; after the match he said, “(It) was very tough for me because you are playing with the GOAT' on this court,” and added, “I'm very happy. I don't know. What can I say?”
Djokovic struggled physically throughout the evening, making 70 unforced errors, vomiting at least once, and appearing to cramp as he grabbed his left foot. Medical attention was provided between the fourth and fifth sets: he swallowed pills, received a lower-back massage and grimaced after several shots.
The match swung in momentum early when Djokovic moved ahead 3-0 and 4-1 but then lost the opening set — the first time he had surrendered such leads in a U.S. Open first-round match since 2006. He showed moments of his usual on-court demeanour, reserving a fist pump after the second set and placing his hand to his ear to the crowd while taking the third, but could not complete the recovery.
After an awkward landing in the fourth set that saw him drop his racket, Djokovic effectively conceded that set, and Navone closed out the match with back-to-back dominant final sets. Speaking immediately after the win, Navone said, “It's unbelievable,” and added, “This means a lot. It's a dream come true.”
The result extended a difficult run for Djokovic, who also lost in the first round at the Cincinnati hardcourt event earlier this month; that tournament had been his first match since his Wimbledon semifinal loss to top-ranked Jannik Sinner. Instead of using recent events as a springboard, Djokovic is left to contemplate an uncertain future after this unexpected U.S. Open exit.
