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Djokovic falls in five
Novak Djokovic exited the US Open in the first round after a five-set defeat to Argentina’s Mariano Navone on Arthur Ashe Stadium, with Djokovic reduced to tears as the match ended 7-6 (5), 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1.
“vomited the contents of his stomach straight into the towel bin”
The 39-year-old’s collapse unfolded alongside repeated vomiting and cramping, with The Guardian describing him vomiting “straight into the towel bin” during the match.
Djokovic said he was carrying the problem “pretty much every match this year,” and he linked it to “vomiting, throwing up” and a body that “starts to collapse, basically cramping and pain.”
Al Jazeera reported Djokovic lost 7-6 (5), 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 in a five-set marathon that lasted four hours and 36 minutes, and it said he could not find what it took to beat Navone under the lights.
The Telegraph added that Djokovic’s defeat left the final match of the US Open’s opening day—between Venus Williams and Sofia Kenin—to start well after midnight, after Djokovic’s match ran to more than 4½ hours.
Tears, pain, and quotes
Djokovic’s post-match explanation emphasized the physical toll, as he told reporters, “I didn’t enjoy myself,” and said “it was obvious that [it was] an awful feeling on the court for me.”
In the same account, Al Jazeera quoted Djokovic saying, “It’s something that I’ve been carrying, unfortunately, pretty much every match this year,” and tied it to “vomiting, throwing up” and his body “starts to collapse.”
Navone, meanwhile, framed the win as a personal breakthrough, telling reporters, “[It] was very tough for me because you are playing with the ‘GOAT’ [greatest of all time] on this court,” and adding, “This is an amazing court and the biggest stage.”
The Telegraph described Djokovic’s tears flowing freely during the fifth set, and it reported that after the match Djokovic said he had “pretty much despised every moment that I spent on the court.”
Al Jazeera also reported Djokovic’s earliest exit in two decades, noting it was his earliest exit “dating to the 2006 Australian Open,” and it said he was trying to address “what’s going on and how far I can go this way.”
What it means next
The defeat ended Djokovic’s run of 78 consecutive opening-round matches at the majors, with Al Jazeera describing the loss as his earliest exit in two decades and the question now lingers as to whether it was his final match at a Grand Slam.
“the question now lingers as to whether this was Djokovic’s final match”
Al Jazeera reported Djokovic said he was “trying to address really what’s going on and how far I can go this way,” after the wear and tear of sickness and soreness took its toll.
The Telegraph placed the match in the context of a US Open opening day that stretched past midnight, while it also said Djokovic’s last point came after he composed himself “not because he had a chance of winning it, but because that is the etiquette of tennis.”
Daily Sabah reported Djokovic had arrived at Flushing Meadows aiming for a fifth title and a record 25th major crown, but it said he crashed out 7-6(5), 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 and sent shockwaves through the final Grand Slam of the year.
Looking beyond the US Open, Al Jazeera said Djokovic’s question now includes whether he can keep going after the loss, while it noted he had lost in the second round at the hardcourt tuneup in Cincinnati earlier this month.