Novak Djokovic's first-round upset loss blows open the US Open men's bracket even further

Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News on Aug 31, 2026

Published in Tennis

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NEW YORK — The first major upset of the 2026 US Open came to its merciful end in the waning minutes of the tournament’s opening day.

Over the course of a grueling four-hour, 36-minute first-round loss at Arthur Ashe Stadium late Sunday night, 39-year-old Novak Djokovic battled not only a gritty opponent in unseeded Mariano Navone but his own body.

Djokovic — the Open’s No. 4 seed who holds the all-time record with 24 Grand Slam championships — ingested pills and vomited during the five-match slugfest. His left foot appeared to bother him. He had his lower back massaged ahead of the fifth set.

Emotion seemed to overcome Djokovic, who appeared to wipe away tears as the fifth set approached its end.

Djokovic committed 70 unforced errors as the Argentine Navone, the No. 49 player in the global rankings, outlasted him 7-6 (5), 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1. The result was Djokovic’s first-ever first-round loss at the Open.

“I think it was obvious that it was an awful feeling on the court for me,” Djokovic said early Monday morning following a match that ended just before midnight.

“It’s something that I’ve been carrying, unfortunately, pretty much every match this year. Vomiting, throwing up, a serious issue there. Then my whole body, you know, starts to collapse, basically cramping and pain. Yeah, the back just gave up in the end, and shoulder, and I couldn’t close it out.”

It was the earliest exit by Djokovic at a major tournament since the 2006 Australian Open.

Djokovic is a four-time US Open winner, most recently in 2023, but he hasn’t been able to win a Grand Slam tournament since then.

The Serbian sensation made it to the semifinals last year at Flushing Meadows, where he fell to eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz, and finished as the runner-up in Australia in January.

But August’s Cincinnati Open was a similar grind for Djokovic, who suffered a first-round loss there, too.

Asked Monday if his health concerns are something he can fix, Djokovic replied, “I don’t know. I’m trying, man. I’m trying.”

“When it comes to [the] match itself and overall feeling of how I felt with [my] body and playing, it was really not enjoyable,” Djokovic said. “I pretty much despised every moment that I spent on the court for that. But from the perspective of the crowd and support, it was incredible.”

Djokovic’s sudden exit blows open a compromised men’s bracket even further, as Jannik Sinner — the top-ranked player in the world — is sitting out of the US Open due to a knee injury.

Meanwhile, Monday marked the return of Alcaraz after a four-month layoff due to a wrist injury. The Spanish-born Alcaraz, a two-time Open winner, is the No. 2 seed behind Germany’s Alexander Zverev.

One of Alcaraz, Sinner and Djokovic has won each of the previous four US Opens.

All of that makes it more possible for someone else to hoist the trophy this year. An American man has not won the Open — or any Grand Slam tournament — since Andy Roddick in 2003.

Six of the top 20 seeds in Queens are Americans.

Venus' future

Because the preceding Djokovic-Navone bout lasted so long, Venus Williams’ first-round match at Arthur Ashe Stadium didn’t begin until 12:13 a.m.

It was the latest start time in US Open history.

That match didn’t drag on as long, as Williams, 46, lost in straight sets to Sofia Kenin 6-2, 7-6 (6).

Afterward, Williams acknowledged the late start made it difficult to find a rhythm, but she also credited her opponent, a 27-year-old American who was granted the tournament’s final wild-card spot.

“It was extremely late,” Williams said Monday after a match that ended at 2:01 a.m. “I’ve never played a match that late before, and I was happy to see that so many people stuck around for that. It was a real honor to play in front of them.”

A two-time Open champion, Williams has now suffered five consecutive first-round exits at Flushing Meadows. She’s lost 15 consecutive singles matches overall.

But Williams — who is set to compete with her sister Serena Williams in the Open’s doubles tournament this week — wasn’t ready to contemplate what’s next for her career after that.

“I don’t think I should have to,” Williams said. “I mean, my mind is fully focused on that. So I’m going to recover from this completely insane evening and get ready for the next one.”

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