Overview
- The match, which took place Sunday night at Arthur Ashe Stadium, ended 7-6(5), 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 in favor of 25-year-old Mariano Navone after 4 hours and 36 minutes.
- Djokovic experienced visible physical distress through the match, including repeated vomiting, cramping and back and shoulder pain, and he took a medical timeout for treatment before the fifth set.
- The loss was Djokovic’s first opening-round defeat at a Grand Slam since 2006, ending a more-than-20-year streak of surviving opening matches at majors.
- Navone, ranked No. 49, called the victory a dream come true and advances to the second round, creating a more open section of the men’s draw for other contenders.
- The result raises immediate questions about Djokovic’s short-term Grand Slam prospects as he seeks medical answers for the condition he said has affected many matches this year and has not announced any change to his playing plans.