Novak Djokovic’s latest US Open campaign ended almost as quickly as it started.
The Serbian was knocked out in the opening round by Argentina’s Mariano Navone, ranked 49th in the world, in a five-set defeat that turned into a collapse in the final stages: 7–6, 5–7, 4–6, 6–2, 6–1.
After taking a 2–1 lead, Djokovic appeared to run out of answers and eventually ran out of energy too.
The fourth seed struggled physically, called for medical assistance and admitted afterwards that he had “despised every moment” on court.
For a player accustomed to making opponents suffer until the very last point, this was a rather different script.
Navone didn’t need a miracle. He simply stayed in the match while Djokovic fell apart.
The result ended Djokovic’s unbeaten record in US Open first rounds and marked his earliest Grand Slam exit since 2006.
The 25th Grand Slam dream is over — at least for now.
One round. Five sets. And an unexpectedly early ticket home.
