Ailing Djokovic 'despised' every moment of US Open defeat

Novak Djokovic's US Open journey came to an end with an early exit, marking his earliest Grand Slam loss in two decades. The Serbian tennis star fell to Mariano Navone 7-6 (7/5), 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 on Sunday at the Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York. This defeat ended Djokovic's recent streak of 78 Grand Slam first-round wins, which started at the 2006 French Open.

At 39 years old, Djokovic's physical discomfort became evident early in the match, as he battled through more than four and a half hours of play against the 25-year-old Argentine. Despite his best efforts, Djokovic congratulated Navone, stating, "I don't want to take too much out of his win. Congrats to him. He's a nice guy, a fighter."

Djokovic's opponent, Navone, expressed his astonishment at the match, saying, "It was a tough match, a battle. Playing against Novak the first time in the biggest stage we have in the world of tennis right now… I mean, it's crazy." Throughout most of the match, Djokovic appeared physically spent, repeatedly throwing up into a courtside bucket and doubling over in pain.

He admitted that he had "despised" every moment of the ordeal at Flushing Meadows in New York, attributing his discomfort to a serious issue affecting him in hot, humid conditions for many years. Despite this, Djokovic remained determined to continue playing, though he acknowledged that the issue might not be fixable. His mysterious health problem, combined with his age, has raised questions about whether the world No. 5 player could be nearing the end of his career.