Novak Djokovic eliminated in first round at US Open

August 31, 2026 / 10:54 AM

Sharjah 24: Serbian Novak Djokovic was eliminated from the first round of the US Open, the last of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, after losing a marathon match, during which he suffered a health scare, to Argentina's Mariano Navone 6-7 (5-7), 7-5, 6-4, 2-6, 1-6.

Djokovic's historic first-round streak ends

Novak Djokovic, the former world number one and current world number five, hadn't been eliminated from a Grand Slam tournament in the first round for 20 years, specifically since the 2006 Australian Open.

This loss to the world number 49 also ended Djokovic's streak of 78 consecutive first-round wins in Grand Slam tournaments, a run that began with his loss to American Paul Goldstein at the 2006 Australian Open.

Djokovic's 25th Grand Slam title hopes fad

This early exit diminishes the chances of the 39-year-old Djokovic of extending his record by winning his 25th Grand Slam title.

The four-time US Open champion (2011, 2015, 2018, and 2023) had a lacklustre performance two weeks prior in his only warm-up match in Cincinnati, where he also lost in the first round in sweltering heat