On the first day of the 2026 US Open, tennis legend and #4 player in the world, Novak Djokovic, was upset by Mariano Navone, 6-7 (5-7 in tiebreaker), 7-5, 6-4, 2-6, 1-6. It is the first time in Djokovic's career that the 4-time US Open champion lost in his opening match at the tournament. The 39-year-old seemed visibly ill throughout the match, even vomiting during the 3rd set. He later said, "The vomiting, the gagging. it's a serious problem. Then my whole body started to give way, with cramps and pain....I didn't have fun out there."
I am not surprised that Djokovic didn't win the US Open. He's 39 years old, and clearly doesn't have a lot in the tank. But I think I speak for most tennis fans when I say NOBODY expected him to lose this quickly. He made mistakes that Mariano Navone simply didn't make. Djokovic's age seems to have caught up to him, and he showed it here at the US Open.
Navone will now face 2019 US Open semifinalist Matteo Berrettini in the 2nd round. Navone's got nothing to lose, but can he pull off another upset? We'll see.
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