Physical woes dog Djokovic in shock US Open loss

Novak Djokovic suffered his earliest Grand Slam defeat in 20 years as he lost to Argentine Mariano Navone in the US Open quarterfinals. The Serbian powerhouse struggled with physical ailments throughout the grueling four-hour match, vomiting on court, experiencing late-match cramps, and dealing with back pain. Despite reaching the Australian Open final and Wimbledon semi-finals this year, Djokovic admitted he is currently unable to advance deep in tournaments and is unsure of a solution to his ongoing physical issues.

Djokovic held a 2-1 lead in the fourth set after breaking Navone, but the Argentine went on to win the next five games, forcing a tiebreaker. Djokovic's double fault in the tiebreaker allowed Navone to edge out a 6-5 victory, marking his first win over his longtime idol in four hours and 36 minutes of intense tennis. The jubilant Navone attributed his win to his strong mental game and the support of the crowd, who had tried to lift Djokovic during the challenging match.