Novak Djokovic's 20-year streak snapped after first-round US Open defeat
(Courtesy : @djokernole/Instagram)
Argentina’s Mariano Navone defeated the 24-time Slam champion in a stunning four-hour battle
Novak Djokovic has lost in the first round of a Grand Slam for the first time in two decades after his defeat Argentina’s Mariano Navone in a marathon five-set battle at the 2026 US Open.
The 49th-ranked Navone came through 7-6(5), 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 in four hours and 36 minutes on Arthur Ashe Stadium in one of the biggest shocks the tournament has seen in years.
Djokovic’s defeat ended a streak that had lasted more than 20 years. The 39-year-old hadn’t lost the opening match at a major since the 2006 Australian Open, when he went down to Paul Goldstein.
Since then, he had racked up 78 straight first-round wins at Grand Slams, by far the longest run of its kind in the Open Era and one that looked almost untouchable.
New York, in particular, had always been kind to him. Djokovic walked into this year’s tournament having never lost a first-round match at the US Open in 19 previous trips, a run of 19-0 that made Sunday’s result all the more remarkable.
He now sits at 4/20 in US Open finals reached with an overall record of 95-16 and an 86 percent win rate at Flushing Meadows, numbers that clearly put into perspective just how rare a night like this has been for him.
Not a good string of results for Novak Djokovic since the French Open
Catch Every Update, Anytime, Anywhere
The match itself swung wildly. Navone took the opener in a tight tiebreak; Djokovic hit back to level things, and by the third set it looked as though the Serb had wrestled control of the contest.
But his body seemed to give out from there. He was seen vomiting courtside as the match wore on, and his movement clearly suffered in the closing stages, which Navone made him pay for by sweeping the final two sets.
It caps off a rough string of Grand Slam finishes for Djokovic after the Australian Open (where he finished runner-up to Carlos Alcaraz).
Since then, the 24-time major champion suffered a shock third-round exit at the French Open to Joao Fonseca and a straight-sets semi-final loss to Jannik Sinner at Wimbledon, after also being upset early in Cincinnati and now a first-round loss at Flushing Meadows.
For Navone, though, it’s the win of a lifetime and one that will follow him for the rest of his career.
When did Novak Djokovic last lose in the first round of a Grand Slam?
Djokovic’s last defeat in the first round of a Grand Slam came 20 years ago, in 2006, at the Australian Open, when he went down to Paul Goldstein.
Who defeated Novak Djokovic in the first round at US Open 2026?
Djokovic went down to Argentina’s Mariano Navone in a four-hour and 36-minute battle in the first round, losing 6-7(5), 7-5, 6-4, 2-6, 1-6.
What happened physically to Novak Djokovic during the match?
He appeared to struggle with his fitness as the match went on, including being seen vomiting courtside, and his movement noticeably declined in the fourth and fifth sets, which Navone used to close out the win.
For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram