Novak Djokovic falls out of elite company he hasn't left since 2018
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Djokovic lost to Mariano Navone in the first round.
Novak Djokovic‘s brutal season just got a lot more painful. The 39-year-old Serbian, who has spent much of the last decade parked near the top of men’s tennis, is now confirmed to fall out of the world’s top 10 for the first time since July 2018, and the reason is one nobody saw coming.
Djokovic crashed out of the 2026 US Open in the first round on Sunday, beaten by Argentina’s Mariano Navone in a gruelling five-set battle that lasted four hours and 36 minutes.
The final score read 7-6(5), 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1, but the numbers barely tell the story of what actually happened on Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Djokovic looked physically broken for large stretches, throwing up multiple times, needing medical treatment for his back and foot, and eventually just running out of gas.
It’s the first time in 20 years that Djokovic has lost in the opening round of a Grand Slam. You have to go back to the 2006 Australian Open, when a young and largely unknown Djokovic fell to Paul Goldstein, to find anything comparable.
Related: Novak Djokovic’s 20-year streak snapped after first-round US Open defeat
Since then, he has racked up 24 major titles and built a reputation as one of the toughest competitors the sport has ever seen.
The numbers behind the fall
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The ranking consequences are steep. Djokovic came into the tournament as world No. 5 and the fourth seed, but he was defending 800 points from last year’s semi-final run in New York.
Losing in round one means he sheds 790 of those points in one swoop, enough to send him down to No. 11 in the live rankings, his lowest position in eight years.
There’s a real chance things get worse before the tournament even wraps up. Players like Rafael Jodar, Frances Tiafoe and Learner Tien are all within striking distance and could push him even further down the list depending on how deep they go in New York.
What comes next for Djokovic, including whether he even qualifies for the ATP Finals for the first time since 2017, is genuinely uncertain.
Why is Novak Djokovic dropping out of the top 10 in ATP rankings?
Djokovic lost in the first round of the 2026 US Open to Argentina’s Mariano Navone, and because he was defending 800 ranking points from reaching last year’s semi-finals, the early exit cost him 790 of those points. That drop sends him down to No. 11 in the live rankings, his lowest position since July 2018.
When was the last time Novak Djokovic was ranked outside the of top 10 in ATP rankings?
The 24-time Grand Slam champion was ranked outside the world’s top 10 last in 2018.
Who defeated Novak Djokovic in the first round of 2026 US Open?
Djokovic was beaten by Mariano Navone of Argentina in a four-hour battle, with the Serb going down 6-7(5), 7-5, 6-4, 2-6, 1-6.
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