Novak Djokovic’s push for a record 25th Grand Slam ended prematurely at the 2026 U.S. Open after he was knocked out in the first round by unseeded Argentine Mariano Navone.

After over four hours of a gruelling clash in the early hours of Monday, Navone secured an emphatic 3-2 (7-6(5) 5-7 4-6 6-2 6-1) five-set win to eliminate Djokovic, marking his first Grand Slam round one exit since 2006 as age starts to take its toll on the Serbian.

Djokovic, 39, is currently tied with Australia’s Margaret Court as the two players with the most Grand Slam titles at 24, but the loss to Navone meant he couldn’t set the outright record in North America.

“I didn’t enjoy myself. I think it was obvious that it was an awful feeling on the court for me.

It’s something that I’ve been carrying, unfortunately, pretty much every match this year: vomiting, throwing up, a serious issue there,” Djokovic, who was visibly emotional during the match, said.

Speaking further, Djokovic noted that his body fell apart during the match, making it hard for him to overpower Navone.

“Then my whole body starts to collapse, basically cramping and pain. Yeah, the back just gave up in the end and shoulder, and I couldn’t close it out.

“When it comes to the match itself and overall feeling of how I felt with my body and playing, it was really not enjoyable. I pretty much despised every moment that I spent on the court for that,” the former world number one stated.

Navone described Djokovic as the “greatest of all time”, adding that it was a dream come true for him.

“Five sets against the GOAT, it’s not something you do every day. I’m very happy. Navone said in court. It means a lot to me. It’s a dream come true. Now I have to recover. It’s almost 12 a.m. We have to go to sleep,” the 25-year-old stated.