Ailing Novak Djokovic Vomits Multiple Times During Stunning First-Round Defeat at US Open

Novak Djokovic‘s US Open campaign ended in a dramatic fashion. On Sunday (August 30), an ailing Djokovic suffered a 7-6(5), 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 upset at the hands of Mariano Navone in a match that lasted four hours and 36 minutes.

The Serb crashed out of a Grand Slam tournament in the opening round for the first time since the 2006 Australian Open. But at the US Open, this happened for the very first time.

En route to the shock defeat, Djokovic’s body failed him. He, in fact, vomited into the dustbin multiple times. Djokovic tried his best to secure a berth in the second round, but in the end, all of his efforts went in vain. The 39-year-old was also reduced to tears when he was down 1-3 in the fifth set.

lol now it makes sense why Novak is playing like shit. Man is puking out there. pic.twitter.com/K0O93aJQbq

— Jeff 🔴⚫️🔴 (@JMC9787) August 31, 2026

Perhaps the only person who was on top of the world after this match was Navone. It was the second time he beat a top-10 player (the first was Felix Auger-Aliassime in the second round of this year’s Italian Open). Navone was simply speechless in the aftermath of the match.

It’s amazing. The way we played, five sets against the GOAT. I’m very happy. I don’t know, what can I say? It’s unbelievable. It means a lot for me. It’s a dream come true, I mean, seriously, 100 per cent. Now I have to recover. I think it’s almost 12 o’clock, so we have to go to sleep.

Mariano Navone said during the on-court interview

The Argentine ace reached the second round of the US Open for the second time in his career. He produced his best Grand Slam performance when he reached the third round of the 2025 French Open.

Djokovic, a four-time US Open champion, last lifted this title in 2023. It was also the last time he won a Grand Slam title. Since then, the World No.5 has played three Major finals: 2023 Wimbledon, 2024 Wimbledon, and the 2026 Australian Open. In all these matches, Carlos Alcaraz defeated him.

Djokovic has now lost in the opening round of a tournament for the second consecutive time. Before arriving at Flushing Meadows, he competed at the Cincinnati Masters, only to lose in three sets to Thiago Agustin Tirante in a match that saw him suffer from physical setbacks, and he was also seen vomiting into the towel.

Novak Djokovic wanted to retire mid-match

Novak Djokovic did consider throwing in the towel while struggling physically during that match against Mariano Navone. At the press conference after his defeat, Nole said he felt there was still a chance to eke out the win, which is why he deemed it best to continue playing.

Yes, I did. But then I won one set and then another. At that point, I said to myself: ‘OK, maybe there is a chance.’ I didn’t want to give up in the fourth or fifth set. I wanted to finish the match.

Now that his Grand Slam campaign for this season is over, it’s uncertain where Djokovic will play next. Last year, following his semifinal defeat in the New York Major, Djokovic competed in just two tournaments, the Shanghai Masters and the Hellenic Championship. He won the ATP 250 title in Athens by defeating Lorenzo Musetti and has yet to win another title since that win.

Djokovic last won a Big Title at the 2024 Paris Olympics by beating Alcaraz. Although his body is no longer allowing him to maintain a high level throughout his Grand Slam campaign, Djokovic wishes to play till 2028 and retire after competing at the Los Angeles Olympics.

Also read: Novak Djokovic Opens Up About His New Documentary and Hints at Future Projects