Mariano Navone stunned Novak Djokovic 7-6, 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 in a five-set opening-round thriller on Arthur Ashe Stadium at the US Open 2026.
Navone Stuns Arthur Ashe with Opening Set Grit
In one of the most stunning opening-round upsets in modern tennis history, Argentina’s Mariano Navone defeated 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic 7-6(5), 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 on Arthur Ashe Stadium at the US Open 2026. The 25-year-old Argentine displayed extraordinary resilience under the New York lights, battling through a grueling five-set marathon against his childhood idol.
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The contest began with immediate drama as Navone stood toe-to-toe with Djokovic from the baseline. Absorbing the Serbian star’s groundstrokes with sharp defensive retrieval, Navone pushed the opening set into a tense tiebreak. Showing nerves of steel on the sport’s biggest stage, the Argentine edged the breaker 7-5 to claim the first set.
Novak Djokovic Fights Back Before Physical Struggles Emerge
Novak Djokovic responded with typical championship determination in the second and third sets. Raising his first-serve percentage and finding cleaner angles, the fourth seed seized crucial breaks at 7-5 and 6-4 to take a 2-1 set lead.
However, the humid night air and physical exhaustion began to take a severe toll on the 39-year-old legend. Djokovic struggled noticeably with his movement and energy between points as the match extended past the three-hour mark. Capitalizing on the shift in momentum, Navone stepped up his baseline aggression, attacking the corners and racing through the fourth set 6-2 to level the match and force a decider.
Argentine Dominates Decider for Career-Defining Victory
With the momentum entirely on his side, Navone ran away with the fifth set. Striking deep forehands and chasing down every drop shot, the Argentine broke Djokovic repeatedly to build an insurmountable lead. Navone closed out the final set 6-1 with clinical composure, falling to his knees in celebration after four hours and 36 minutes of intense combat.
The historic victory marks Djokovic’s first Grand Slam opening-round defeat in two decades, while sending Navone into round two with the greatest triumph of his professional career.