Tennis great Djokovic exits US Open in first round amid tears and pain

What the report says

Novak Djokovic’s bid for a 25th Grand Slam title ended in the first round of the US Open, where he lost a five-set match to unseeded Argentine Mariano Navone. The match, played Sunday night in New York, lasted four hours and 36 minutes and finished 7-6 (5), 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1. Al Jazeera, citing Associated Press reporting, said the defeat was Djokovic’s earliest exit at the tournament in two decades and his first first-round loss at the US Open.

Djokovic, 39, struggled physically throughout the contest. He was seen dealing with cramping, a foot issue and lower-back discomfort, and received medical attention between the fourth and fifth sets. He also made a high number of unforced errors, while Navone, 25, stayed steady under pressure and closed out what he called a dream result. The article said Djokovic had not looked fully fit for much of the match and that the problems echoed other recent setbacks.

The result raises questions about Djokovic’s immediate future in major tournaments. He said afterward that he was trying to understand what was happening with his body and how far he could continue competing this way. The loss also followed an early exit in Cincinnati earlier in August, adding to a difficult stretch for one of tennis’s most successful players.