Arthur Ashe Stadium fell unusually quiet as Novak Djokovic fought to stay alive. The 39-year-old battled illness, cramps and exhaustion before Mariano Navone completed a stunning 7-6, 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 victory.
For Djokovic, the defeat was more than a first-round exit. It ended his latest pursuit of a record 25th Grand Slam singles title and marked his earliest US Open exit ever.
The Serbian started strongly and raced into a 4-1 lead. But the humidity soon became his biggest opponent, with Djokovic looking nauseous and struggling to recover between points.
He eventually vomited into a towel bin and called for medical assistance. The crowd could sense something was wrong, and the noise inside Ashe gave way to an uneasy silence.
Djokovic still found his famous fighting spirit. He levelled the match and moved ahead in the third set after breaking Navone at 5-4, raising hopes of another remarkable escape.
But this was not the Djokovic of his peak years. His serve lost power, his movement slowed and his body appeared unable to cope with the demands of a five-set battle.
Navone, ranked 49th in the world, stayed composed. The 25-year-old had never gone beyond the second round in New York, yet he kept pressing until Djokovic finally ran out of answers.
“It was obvious that it was an awful feeling on the court for me,” Djokovic said. “I didn’t enjoy myself.”
The champion also revealed the seriousness of the problem affecting him in hot conditions. “It’s something that I have been carrying pretty much every match this year,” he said, adding that vomiting was followed by cramping and severe pain.
That admission may raise fresh questions about retirement. Djokovic has insisted he has no “expiry date” on his career, but another early defeat could force him to confront what his body is telling him.
