Novak Djokovic struggled with physical and internal issues, committing numerous errors against a determined, younger opponent unafraid of facing the tennis legend. The 39-year-old exited the U.S. Open after a lengthy battle against Mariano Navone, resulting in a 7-6 (5), 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 defeat lasting over four hours and 36 minutes in New York. This marked Djokovic’s earliest Grand Slam departure in two decades, dating back to the 2006 Australian Open, and his first-ever first-round loss at the U.S. Open.
Djokovic expressed his dissatisfaction, stating, “I didn’t enjoy myself. I think it was obvious that it was an awful feeling on the court for me.” Suffering from physical distress, Djokovic experienced vomiting, cramping, and pain throughout the match, eventually succumbing to a total of 70 unforced errors. Reflecting on his health issues, Djokovic mentioned, “It’s something that I’ve been carrying, unfortunately, pretty much every match this year.”
Following his defeat, Djokovic pondered the possibility of retirement from Grand Slam tournaments. Meanwhile, Navone, who looked up to Djokovic, described the experience of playing against the “GOAT” as incredible, emphasizing his happiness despite the challenging five-set match.
In other U.S. Open matches, Canada’s Leylah Fernandez advanced to the second round by defeating Shuai Zhang in straight sets. Fernandez, the 31st seed, displayed a strong performance with four aces and efficient break-point conversions. In the men’s singles event, Denis Shapovalov secured a victory over Miomir Kecmanovic with a mix of powerful serves and break points.
Defending champions Aryna Sabalenka and Carlos Alcaraz also triumphed in their opening matches. Sabalenka began her bid for a third consecutive U.S. Open title with a straight-sets win, while Alcaraz, returning from a wrist injury, swiftly defeated Roman Safiullin. Alcaraz expressed his joy at returning to competitive play after a challenging period of recovery.
In a late-night match, Venus Williams faced a defeat against Sofia Kenin, marking her 15th consecutive singles loss at the U.S. Open. Despite a valiant effort in the second set, Williams ultimately succumbed to Kenin’s strong play. The match, which commenced past midnight, concluded with Kenin prevailing in a tiebreak.
The U.S. Open also saw notable performances from Amanda Anisimova and Stefanos Tsitsipas, with Anisimova securing a commanding victory and Tsitsipas displaying improved form after a coaching change.
