Djokovic crashes out of US Open first round

Novak Djokovic, the 39-year-old Serbian tennis player and holder of 24 Grand Slam titles, has been eliminated from the US Open in the first round. He lost to Mariano Navone, a 25-year-old Argentine player ranked 48th in the world, in a five-set match that lasted four hours and 36 minutes. The final score was 7-6 (7/5), 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1.

Djokovic struggled physically throughout the match, vomiting on court and experiencing cramps. He took a medical timeout between the fourth and fifth sets, receiving a massage on his spine and medication. Despite his efforts, he was unable to recover and ultimately lost the match. This is Djokovic's earliest exit from a Grand Slam tournament in 20 years, and his first loss in the opening round at the US Open.

Navone described the win as "a dream come true" and said it was an honor to play against Djokovic, whom he considers the greatest of all time. Djokovic was visibly emotional after the match, breaking down in tears as he congratulated Navone on his victory. The loss ends Djokovic's bid for a record 25th Grand Slam title.

Brief written by urgent.news from Punch Nigeria, The Korea Times, Gulf News, Adom Online, New Straits Times — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.