Djokovic’s first Grand Slam opening round exit in 20 years raises questions about his future

Eight-time year-end world number one tennis powerhouse, Novak Djokovic, suffered a shock exit at this year’s US Open, losing in five sets to Argentinian Mariano Navone.  Fatigue, tears, and disappointment marred the Serb’s 20th appearance at the tournament as he succumbed to a 7-6 (7-5), 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 loss.

The problems began just 20 minutes into what would become a four-and-a-half-hour match, with the 39-year-old buckling under the incessant New York sun, vomiting into a towel bin, cramping up, and looking rightfully dismayed.  During the match, he was even seen mouthing a disheartened “I have nothing” in the direction of his team’s box. The loss marks the first time the player has been knocked out in a first-round match in 20 years.

My whole body started to give out, with cramps and pain

Novak Djokovic

“It was obvious that it was an awful feeling on the court for me,” Djokovic said after the match. “It’s something that, unfortunately, has accompanied me in practically every match this year. Vomiting, retching … it’s a serious problem. Then my whole body started to give out, with cramps and pain.”

Watching the 24-time Grand Slam champion struggle so visibly on court is a far cry from how he has dominated the sport for over 15 years; the Serb has spent 428 weeks at number one, more than any other player in history. As a member of tennis’ Big Three – alongside Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal – he dominated the Open Era, with the trio’s unparalleled run starting with Federer’s first Wimbledon title in 2003 and ending in 2024, the first year in which not one major was won by the three luminaries. Djokovic has since surpassed his contemporaries, holding a record 24 grand slam titles compared to Federer and Nadal’s 20 and 22 respectively. A gold at the Paris Olympics puts him among the likes of Steffi Graf and Serena Williams in having completed the ‘Golden Slam’ – winning all four majors and an Olympic Gold, a feat Djokovic himself called “the biggest success I ever had“.

Djokovic has long expressed his intention to defend his gold medal at the Los Angeles Olympics in two years’ time

Besides his other aspirations, endurance has long been a focus for the tennis titan. “Longevity was always one of the goals when I was younger, trying to have a long career, trying to have more shots at Grand Slams, and stay healthy long enough so that I can perform for as many years as possible,” Djokovic said, a day before the main draw began at this year’s US Open.  Despite his signature tenacity and grit, having outlasted most of his major rivals, his physical fitness appears to be waning. An early (second round) exit from August’s Cincinnati Open was perhaps the forewarning that the Serb is not ready to accept. When asked whether it was humidity and heat that caused him to struggle, Djokovic spoke of an underlying health issue he has been grappling with over the past few years. “I did anticipate it [would be humid], but there are all these things, like nerves and everything involved that make it worse, and that’s what happened.”

It was a night of bittersweet milestones; his 20th appearance at Flushing Meadows brought unwanted attention to the physical state of a player who has persevered in the face of aging for so long. Djokovic has long expressed his intention to defend his gold medal at the Los Angeles Olympics in two years’ time; but with his body seemingly catching up with him, his future in the sport may finally have been thrust into the shadows.