Novak Djokovic reveals physical issues after five-set US Open defeat to Mariano Navone
Novak Djokovic said on 1 September 2026 that he was unsure how much longer he could continue competing at the top level after a five-set loss to Argentina’s Mariano Navone that ended his US Open campaign in the opening round at Arthur Ashe Stadium. The 39-year-old admitted his body gave out during the match and described severe physical symptoms afterwards.
Djokovic has spent 428 weeks as the World No. 1 during his career and entered the tournament chasing a record-extending 25th Grand Slam title at Flushing Meadows. The defeat was only his third opening-round loss at a major and his first such exit in 20 years since the 2006 Australian Open; his only other opening-round loss at a Slam came in 2005.
Djokovic appeared in visible distress for large parts of the match, at one point vomiting courtside during the third set and later receiving treatment for his back and shoulder. He still took a couple of sets off Navone, who is ranked World No. 49, but his physical problems intensified and he was unable to complete the contest in the deciding set.
Speaking after the match, Djokovic described the symptoms he experienced on court [via Olly Tennis]: “The vomiting, the gagging, it’s a serious problem. Then my whole body started to give way, with cramps and pain. In the end, my back and shoulder also gave out, and I couldn’t finish the match. I was a break (of serve) up in the fourth set, but I had already been struggling a lot from the fourth game onwards.”
He paid tribute to his opponent’s performance while acknowledging his own limitations: “I don’t want to take anything away from his victory. Congratulations to him. He’s a good guy and a fighter. But I didn’t have fun out there.”
On his prospects for recovery and continuation, Djokovic said: “I don’t know [how I can solve it]. At the moment, I don’t want to go into too much detail. I’m just trying to understand what’s going on and how much longer I can keep going like this.”
The loss capped a difficult 2026 for Djokovic, who was runner-up to Carlos Alcaraz at the Australian Open, suffered a third-round exit to Joao Fonseca at the French Open, and lost in the semi-finals to Jannik Sinner at Wimbledon following a marathon five-hour quarter-final victory. His most recent Grand Slam title prior to 2026 remains the 2023 US Open, where he defeated Daniil Medvedev 6–3, 7–6 [7–5], 6–3.
The defeat eliminated Djokovic from the US Open in the opening round and raised immediate questions about his short-term playing future.