NEW YORK :Novak Djokovic suffered his earliest U.S. Open exit after the ailing 39-year-old was beaten 7-6(5) 5-7 4-6 6-2 6-1 by unseeded Argentine Mariano Navone in a gruelling first-round clash on Sunday.
Djokovic, chasing a record 25th Grand Slam title, struggled physically throughout the contest and vomited midway through the match before back and shoulder problems further hampered his serve.
The four-time U.S. Open champion appeared to be in control after recovering from losing the opening set to take the next two, but Navone rallied to win the fourth and raced through the decider to complete the biggest victory of his career.
“It was obvious that it was an awful feeling on the court for me,” Djokovic said, fighting back tears after the match.
“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, basically cramping and pain.”
Djokovic said his back and shoulder problems ultimately prevented him from finishing the match strongly.
“Yeah, the back just gave up in the end, and shoulder. I couldn’t close it out. I was a break up in the fourth, but just struggled all the way since the fourth game of the match,” he said.
“Again, I don’t want to take too much out of his win. Congratulations to him. He’s a nice guy, a fighter. But I didn’t enjoy myself.”
The defeat ended Djokovic’s latest attempt to add to his 24 Grand Slam titles and marked his earliest departure from the U.S. Open.
