After 20 years and 78 straight first-round wins in a Grand Slam, Novak Djokovic broke his streak at the 2026 U.S. Open. Novak Djokovic, one of the best players tennis has ever seen, has dominated ever since he became a pro, winning 24 Grand Slams. That is the most any man has ever won, and he is also an Olympic gold medalist. He has won every Masters 1000 at least twice and has also won 7 ATP finals, which is a men’s record. On top of that, he has had 428 weeks as world number 1, has won 8 ITF players of the year awards, and has many more accomplishments. Seeking his 25th title at this year’s U.S. Open would be a dream come true, and that would make him have the most Grand Slam titles in the history of tennis. Unfortunately, his first-round match did not go the way anybody expected.
Many experts named Novak Djokovic the title favorite, with Jannik Sinner absent due to a knee injury and Carlos Alcaraz returning from injury after 4 months. Those are his 2 fierce competitors stopping him from getting his 25th. Other title favorites included Alexander Zverev, Ben Shelton, and young rising stars like Learner Tien and Rafael Jodar. Novak Djokovic’s first-round matchup was against Marino Navone. Novak had an 85 percent chance to win and cruise to the next round.
At the start of the match, Novak looked like he was hungry for his 25th title and was winning the first set 3-0. Then, Novak looked physically unable to perform while Navone was playing excellent tennis. Novak made 17 errors in one set and ultimately lost in the first set tiebreak. In the second set, it was visible he was dealing with physical discomfort as he vomited and seemed to have severe cramping. However, he was able to keep himself composed and win the second set 7-5, breaking serve at 5-5 to gain momentum.
When the late stretch of the game started, it started to get very ugly for Novak. He again vomited as the 6th game came around in the third set. After missing an opportunity to break Navone’s serve in the second set, Djokovic slumped into his chair and looked like he was battling his body. He was given medication and tablets by the physio, which showed he was not physically well. Despite this, he was able to miraculously win the 3rd set, but it did not look like he was enjoying the momentum. It looked like he was barely surviving out on the court.
The fourth set changed the match’s outcome. While Djokovic could have finished the match as he was up 2-1, his body unfortunately gave up and collapsed as he lost the next 5 games. His cramping and pain increased and Navone forced a deciding set.
In the changeover as the 5th set was about to begin, he received a medical timeout to treat his nausea and pain. In this set, Navone was leading 3-1 and that is when one of the greatest tennis players of all time became tearful on the court. Trying to play while wiping off his tears is a tough task, while the fans at the Arthur Ashe Stadium were trying to lift his spirits. Instead of retiring, he kept fighting and ultimately lost the 5th set 6-1, pushing through pain and emotion. Marino Navone took down a 24-time Grand Slam finalist in pride.
Throughout the match, Novak was fighting through a ton of pain, and later in the game, his emotions came out. His tears reflected his fighting spirit and his refusal to give up. It also made him realize that his body cannot handle the demands tennis has on it anymore and that grand slam number 25 is unlikely. Regardless, he will always be regarded as one of the best players to touch a racket.
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