Novak Djokovic admitted his body “collapsed” during a shocking first-round defeat at the US Open that left the Serbian great fighting back tears.
The 39-year-old’s pursuit of a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam singles title came to a painful end as Argentina’s Mariano Navone produced the biggest victory of his career at Flushing Meadows.
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Djokovic battled through severe physical discomfort and was forced to vomit into a towel bin before eventually losing 7-6 (7-5), 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 inside Arthur Ashe Stadium.
It marked Djokovic’s first opening-round defeat at the US Open and his earliest exit from any Grand Slam since 2006.
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After congratulating world No 49 Navone at the net, the fourth seed was overcome by emotion.
He broke down in tears during the deciding set and again appeared close to crying as he left the court.
Djokovic later revealed he had been struggling with a recurring health problem that has affected him throughout the season.
“It’s something that I have been carrying pretty much every match this year – vomiting, throwing up,” he said.
“And then my whole body starts to collapse basically, cramping and pain – the back just gave up in the end and shoulder, and I couldn’t close it out.”
Djokovic had experienced similar difficulties during his only North American hard-court appearance before arriving in New York.
He suffered a surprise early defeat against Thiago Tirante at the Cincinnati Open, later revealing a “health condition” had troubled him in oppressive weather for several years.
Asked about the problem following his loss to Navone, Djokovic described it as a “serious issue”.
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“I think it was obvious that it was an awful feeling on the court for me,” he added.
“I don’t want to take too much out of Mariano’s win. Congrats to him, he’s a nice guy and a fighter – but I didn’t enjoy myself.”
Djokovic initially looked capable of avoiding disaster, breaking Navone’s serve early and establishing a 4-1 lead in the opening set.
But a punishing rally appeared to drain his energy and the former world No 1 quickly began to lose speed on both his serve and groundstrokes.
He called for medical assistance after the ninth game and received tablets, but continued to look distressed as Navone claimed the opening-set tie-break.
Djokovic recovered under the cooler conditions created by the stadium roof.
He levelled the match before taking the third set, seemingly placing himself in control.
Yet Navone refused to buckle. As Djokovic’s physical condition deteriorated, the Argentine powered through the final two sets to complete a famous victory shortly before midnight.
The defeat will inevitably raise further questions about how much longer Djokovic can compete at the highest level.
He had reached at least the semi-finals in six of the previous seven Grand Slam tournaments, but his inability to finish off an opponent who had never advanced beyond the US Open second round offers worrying evidence of his decline.
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