Navone Stuns Djokovic in Five Sets at the 2026 US Open

Novak Djokovic’s first night at the 2026 US Open ended in a way that had not happened to him at Flushing Meadows before. On Sunday, August 30, at Arthur Ashe Stadium, Argentina’s Mariano Navone defeated the four-time champion 7-6(5), 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 in 4 hours and 36 minutes.

The result ended Djokovic’s 77-match first-round winning streak at Grand Slams. His last first-round loss at a major came at the 2006 Australian Open. He had never previously lost in the opening round of the US Open.

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A harrowing night for the No. 4 seed

Djokovic, 39 and seeded No. 4, started fast. He opened with aces and jumped to an early 3-0 lead. Navone, then ranked around No. 49, settled into long rallies on a humid New York night and took the first set in a tiebreak.

Djokovic won the next two sets to lead 2-1. From there the match changed. Reports from the court described him as visibly unwell. He vomited during the third set, later needed treatment for his back, cramped, and finished the last two sets with far less movement. He finished with 70 unforced errors.

Navone closed 6-2, 6-1. It was his first career win over a true all-time great, his first five-set Grand Slam victory, and his first top-10 win at a major.

source Wikimedia Commons / USTA-related public file, Novak Djokovic at the US Open

Who Mariano Navone is, and why this result landed

Navone was born February 27, 2001, in Nueve de Julio, Argentina. He is 25, stands 1.78 m, and plays right-handed with a two-handed backhand. His career-high ranking is No. 29, reached on June 10, 2024. In 2026 he won his first ATP Tour singles title at the Țiriac Open in Bucharest.

He has said since childhood that facing Djokovic was a dream matchup. The two had no previous official head-to-head. Navone’s next assignment is the winner of Stan Wawrinka versus Matteo Berrettini.

The Serbian was chasing a record 25th Grand Slam singles title and a fifth US Open crown (he won in 2011, 2015, 2018, and 2023). Last year he reached the semifinals in New York before losing to Carlos Alcaraz. This first-round exit is his earliest at a major in 20 years.

source Wikimedia Commons, Mariano Navone at Roland Garros 2024 (Kuberzog)

What is confirmed, and what is not

Confirmed across official reporting: the score, the length of the match, the venue, the first-round Grand Slam streak snap, Navone’s ranking band, Djokovic’s age and seed, the physical struggle on court, and that this was their first meeting.

What is not confirmed here is whether this was Djokovic’s last Grand Slam match. That question was raised after the loss. Only he can answer it later.

Watch a clickable official clip from the night: Novak Djokovic is Moving Mariano Navone Side-to-Side | 2026 US Open

More set highlights are also posted on the official US Open video hub: US Open 2026 video highlights

Was this the biggest first-round shock of the Open Era, or a night defined more by illness than by ranking? Tell us below. Like this story if you want more live Slam recaps, and subscribe so you do not miss the next round.

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Sources

The Athletic; Los Angeles Times; New York Post; Sky Sports; ATP Tour; novakdjokovic.com; USOpen.org; ESPN scoreboard; TennisTemple; Flashscore; La Nacion; Infobae.