The Big Three face the end of tennis’s golden era

Novak Djokovic’s defeat in the first round of the 2026 U.S. Open marked the clearest sign yet that men’s tennis has moved beyond its Big Three era.

The 39-year-old Serbian lost to Argentina’s Mariano Navone in five sets, 6-7, 7-5, 6-4, 6-2, 6-1. The match lasted four hours and 36 minutes and included physical problems for Djokovic during a day of intense New York heat and humidity.

Djokovic had never previously lost in the opening round of the U.S. Open. His defeat ended a run of 78 consecutive Grand Slam first-round victories. It also ended a sequence that began at the 2003 French Open, when at least one of Djokovic, Rafael Nadal or Roger Federer reached the second round of every major.

Together, Federer, Nadal and Djokovic won 66 Grand Slam titles: 20 for Federer, 22 for Nadal and 24 for Djokovic. Federer retired in 2022, Nadal has stepped away from competing at the highest level, and Djokovic had been the last active member of the trio.

The next generation, led by Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, now occupies the center of men’s tennis. Djokovic’s loss does not erase his career or necessarily signal his retirement, but it closes one of the sport’s most durable competitive chapters.