Djokovic crashes out of US Open first round

Novak Djokovic has suffered his earliest Grand Slam exit in 20 years, losing to Mariano Navone in the first round of the US Open. The 48th-ranked Argentine won in five sets, 7-6 (7/5), 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1. This was Djokovic's first first-round loss at the US Open and ended his run of 78 Grand Slam first-round victories.

Djokovic, who is 39 years old and holds 24 major titles, struggled with illness and injury during the match. According to The Korea Times, he vomited on court and had cramps, and took a medical timeout before the final set, receiving a massage on his spine and medication.

The loss ended Djokovic's bid for a record 25th Grand Slam title. Mariano Navone, who called the win "unbelievable" and "a dream come true", won his first meeting with his longtime idol. The match lasted four hours and 36 minutes, making it the longest opening match of a Grand Slam in Djokovic's career.

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