US Open shock ends Djokovic’s 78-match first-round Grand Slam streak

Novak Djokovic’s 2026 US Open ended in a five-set upset against Argentina’s Mariano Navone, ending the Serbian star’s 78-match winning streak in Grand Slam first rounds.

The 39-year-old Djokovic fought for four hours and 36 minutes before losing while in poor physical condition, according to the report. It was his first first-round exit at the US Open and his first Grand Slam opening-round defeat since the 2006 Australian Open.

The result also marked a symbolic turning point for men’s tennis. Since 2003, the second round of a Grand Slam had featured at least one of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal or Djokovic. With Djokovic out, none of the three members of the so-called Big Three remains at that stage.

Djokovic, who reached the Australian Open final earlier this year, is expected to drop outside the world’s top 10. That would end an eight-year run inside the elite ranking group.

The report compared the match with Federer’s 2021 Wimbledon defeat by Hubert Hurkacz and Nadal’s first-round loss to Alexander Zverev at the 2024 French Open, pointing to the players’ declining physical ability to compete at their former level.