Mariano Navone Stuns Novak Djokovic in US Open Opener

Mariano Navone knocked Novak Djokovic out of the US Open 2026 in the first round, recovering from two sets to one down to win a five-set contest 7-6(5), 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 at Arthur Ashe Stadium. The Argentine’s victory ended Djokovic’s pursuit of a 25th major title in a match that lasted more than four and a half hours.

Djokovic, a 24-time Grand Slam winner and former world No. 1, had appeared to take control after losing the opening set. He won the second 7-5 and the third 6-4, and the source report said he held a break advantage before Navone’s response turned the contest around. Navone levelled the match with a 6-2 fourth set before closing out the deciding set 6-1.

Navone turns a five-set battle around

The opening set was decided by a tiebreak, with Navone edging it 7-6(5). Djokovic answered in the second, taking it 7-5, before adding the third set 6-4 to move ahead in the match. At that point, the Serbian was two sets to one in front, but the momentum shifted dramatically as the match entered its later stages.

Navone claimed the fourth set 6-2 to force a decider. He then finished strongly in the fifth, winning it 6-1 to complete one of the tournament’s most notable opening-round results. The final scoreline showed the scale of the turnaround: 7-6(5), 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1.

The result matters because it ended Djokovic’s campaign immediately at a Grand Slam where he had arrived chasing another major title. Navone, meanwhile, emerged from a lengthy and demanding contest with a victory over one of the sport’s most decorated players.

The match was also marked by Djokovic’s physical difficulties in hot and humid conditions. During changeovers, he used ice packs around his neck and head as he attempted to regulate his body temperature. Midway through the third set, he went behind an advertising board to vomit, according to the source report.

Despite those issues, Djokovic continued to compete and took the third set. But after Navone’s fourth-set charge, Djokovic called for an immediate medical timeout before the fifth set to receive treatment on his lower back. He returned to the court after treatment, but Navone maintained control in the deciding set.

Physical struggle shapes Djokovic’s early exit

Djokovic’s effort to remain in the match was a central part of the contest. The source described him as visibly struggling in the conditions, yet continuing through a match that ultimately lasted four hours and 36 minutes. His physical problems did not prevent him from building a two-sets-to-one lead, but they became increasingly significant as Navone pushed the match into a fourth and then a fifth set.

Navone’s win came as Djokovic was unable to produce a final recovery after the medical timeout. The Argentine took the fifth set 6-1, sealing a first-round elimination for Djokovic and bringing the long contest to an end.

After the match, the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd stood to acknowledge Djokovic’s fight. The defeat leaves his US Open 2026 run over after one match, while Navone advances following a five-set win that featured a first-set tiebreak, a comeback from two sets to one down, and a decisive finish.

Djokovic has won 24 Grand Slam titles and has indicated that the end of his career is near, although the source report said he plans to compete at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games. For this US Open, however, his bid for a 25th major ended in the opening round.