Novak Djokovic apologised to supporters after revealing their backing moved him to tears during his physically gruelling US Open defeat in the early hours of Monday morning.
The 39-year-old suffered the earliest Flushing Meadows exit of his career as Argentina’s Mariano Navone secured a dramatic 7-6 (7-5), 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 victory.
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Djokovic was visibly emotional while trailing 3-1 in the deciding set, with spectators inside Arthur Ashe Stadium chanting his name in an attempt to inspire another famous comeback.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion later explained that the response had “touched” his heart, while expressing regret that he could not produce the performance his supporters wanted.
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“The love and appreciation they gave me in the end really touched my heart,” Djokovic said.
“They were super nice. So grateful to experience this.
“When it comes to the match itself and overall feeling of how I felt with my body and playing, it was really not enjoyable. I pretty much despised every moment that I spent on the court for that.
“But from the perspective of the crowd and support, it was incredible, honestly from the beginning.
“They were trying to lift me up in important moments, and I’m very sorry that I didn’t perform as well as I should have or could have or wanted for them.”
Djokovic’s tears came as his body began to fail following more than four hours on court.
The former world No 1 vomited several times and required treatment for problems affecting his lower back and shoulder.
He won only one of the final 12 games as Navone completed the biggest victory of his career.
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Djokovic admitted he had considered retiring from the match after struggling through the opening set.
“Yes, I did, I did,” he said. “I did, but then I won a set and then another.
“At that point I said to myself, ‘Okay, maybe there’s a chance.’ I didn’t want to give up in the fourth or fifth set, I wanted to somehow finish the match.”
Djokovic recovered to lead by two sets to one, but the physical problems that have repeatedly troubled him this year eventually became overwhelming.
His latest health scare came just weeks after he vomited and required medical assistance during a second-round defeat at the Cincinnati Open.
“I think it was obvious that it was an awful feeling for me on the court,” Djokovic admitted.
“It’s something that I’ve been carrying, unfortunately, pretty much every match this year: vomiting, throwing up, a serious issue there.
“Then my whole body starts to collapse, cramping and pain. The back just gave up in the end, and shoulder, and I couldn’t close it out.”
Djokovic also conceded he remains unsure how to resolve the problem, raising fresh questions about his future at the highest level.
“I don’t know,” he said.
“I don’t want to go into too much detail right now.
“I’m just trying to understand what’s going on and how much longer I can keep going like this.”
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