Tennis great Djokovic exits US Open in first round amid tears and pain

Novak Djokovic’s pursuit of a 25th Grand Slam ends in a five-set defeat to unseeded Argentinian player Mariano Navone.Published On 31 Aug 202631 Aug 2026Novak Djokovic, grinding through physical and internal ailments, made one mistake after another and could not find what it took to beat a feisty, younger opponent who was not intimidated under the lights against tennis’s most decorated player.The 39-year-old is out of the US Open after a first-round defeat to Mariano Navone on Sunday night, losing 7-6 (5), 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 in a five-set marathon that lasted four hours and 36 minutes.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4‘Not a goodbye’: Tearful Federer inducted into Tennis Hall of Famelist 2 of 4US Open 2026: All to know about the schedule, top seeds and favouriteslist 3 of 4Serena Williams, Carlos Alcaraz fall in US Open mixed doubles quarterfinallist 4 of 4Ex-Wimbledon champion Vondrousova appeals to CAS over four-year doping banend of listIt was the longest opening match of a Grand Slam in Djokovic’s career in what was his earliest exit in two decades, dating to the 2006 Australian Open. He had never lost in the first round at the US Open.“I didn’t enjoy myself,” Djoko...