“My body is starting to fail me”: Djokovic’s US Open exit raises questions about his future

Novak Djokovic’s bid for a record 25th Grand Slam title ended with a five-set defeat and an emotional struggle on the Arthur Ashe Stadium court, leaving his future at the US Open uncertain.

The 39-year-old Serbian lost to Argentina’s Mariano Navone, ranked 49th, 7-6 (7-5), 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1. Djokovic cried in frustration during the fifth set and vomited several times during the match. It marked his first defeat in the opening round of a Grand Slam since 2006.

Djokovic said the physical problems had become a recurring feature of his season. “It was a horrible feeling for me on the court. Unfortunately, it is something I have been carrying practically in every match this year,” he said, referring to vomiting, nausea, cramps and pain. He later added: “My body is starting to fail me, with cramps and pain. In the end, my back and shoulder gave out and I could not finish properly.”

“

It was a horrible feeling for me on the court. Unfortunately, it is something I have been carrying practically in every match this year.

The former world No. 1, now fifth in the ATP rankings, reached the Australian Open final in January and the Wimbledon quarterfinals in July. He had already suggested at Wimbledon that he felt less physically fresh than he had at the Australian Open.

The US Open presents particular demands for Djokovic, who won his most recent Grand Slam title in New York in 2023. The tournament is often played in intense heat and humidity, conditions that can be harder to manage as he approaches 40. Still, the report notes that Djokovic has often defied predictions. After losing in the 2025 French Open semifinals, he appeared to suggest that he might have played his last match in Paris, but returned the following year.

“

My body is starting to fail me, with cramps and pain. In the end, my back and shoulder gave out and I could not finish properly.