Four hours and 36 minutes. That was the grueling amount of time it took for the longest opening-round winning streak in Grand Slam history to end. And it ended not with a 39-year-old Novak Djokovic being swept aside, but with him vomiting courtside, cramping through a fifth set he could barely finish, and losing 7-6(5), 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 to Argentinian underdog Mariano Navone with tears in his eyes as he realized Father Time had finally caught up with the greatest player who’s ever lived.
It was Djokovic’s first-ever first-round loss at the US Open, a tournament where he’d walked in 19-0 in openers. It snapped 78 consecutive opening-round wins at majors, the longest such run in the Open era. And it marked his earliest Grand Slam exit since a first-round defeat to Paul Goldstein at the 2006 Australian Open, twenty years earlier, almost to the week.
Father Time Catches Up to the GOAT
To make matters even worse, there was genuine hope that Nole could finally somehow secure that elusive 25th Grand Slam at Flushing Meadows. Jannik Sinner withdrew with a knee injury, while fellow modern-day superstar Carlos Alcaraz was only just returning after a wrist injury wrecked most of his year, including the French Open and Wimbledon. Online betting sites were seemingly in agreement.
Popular crypto betting sites such as Thunderpick made Djokovic a 10/1 shot to reign supreme in the Big Apple, third in the odds lists behind only Alcaraz and French Open winner Alexander Zverev. But the details of what transpired at Arthur Ashe Stadium only sharpen the shock.
Seventy unforced errors. Djokovic in tears in the fifth set. Navone, a player who idolized Djokovic growing up, admitted afterward that “it was very tough for me because you are playing with the ‘GOAT’ on this court.” Djokovic’s own words carried the weight of the moment: “I didn’t enjoy myself… I think it was obvious that it was an awful feeling on the court for me.” It extended a miserable stretch that included a first-round loss in Cincinnati and a crushing Wimbledon semifinal defeat to Sinner, likely extinguishing the hunt for that 25th Slam once and for all.
But of course, the iconic Nole has been here before. Admittedly not at the age of 39, but he does know the specific pain of crumbling early at a Grand Slam he was expected to perform well in. And here are the three most infamous of those occasions.
2017 Australian Open, Second Round — Denis Istomin
Djokovic arrived in Melbourne in 2017 as the defending champion, but the shine had come off. He’d completed the career Grand Slam the previous June, then lost early in Rio at the 2016 Olympic Games, fallen to Stan Wawrinka in the US Open final, split from coach Marian Vajda, and surrendered the No. 1 ranking to Andy Murray, who entered as top seed and co-favorite. A routine win over Fernando Verdasco in round one did little to settle the alarm bells.
Then came Denis Istomin — a 117th-ranked wildcard who had never beaten a top-10 player — and suddenly Djokovic was fighting for his life. What followed was carnage: 72 unforced errors, an awkward leg tweak, and a five-set slog that stretched four hours and 48 minutes before Istomin closed it out 7-6(8), 5-7, 2-6, 7-6(5), 6-4.
It was Djokovic’s earliest Slam exit since 2008. Istomin’s fairytale didn’t last long, mind you; he fell to Pablo Carreno Busta in round three. The tournament belonged to Roger Federer, who outlasted Nadal in an 18th-major final that has since become legend in its own right.
2016 Wimbledon, Third Round — Sam Querrey
Is there a more complete illustration of a charmed run ending at its most vulnerable moment than this? Djokovic had just completed the “Nole Slam” as he headed into Wimbledon 2016, riding a 30-match Grand Slam winning streak and chasing a calendar Slam unmatched since Rod Laver in 1969. Then Sam Querrey happened.
The American 28th seed, who’d lost eight of nine previous meetings with Djokovic, took a two-set lead before play was suspended overnight by rain. Djokovic stormed back to level things, but couldn’t serve out the fourth set at 5-4, and Querrey snatched the tiebreak to seal a stunning 7-6(6), 6-1, 3-6, 7-6(5) upset.
Djokovic later admitted he wasn’t “100 percent healthy.” Querrey’s own run stalled at the quarterfinals against Milos Raonic, while Andy Murray went on to lift the title over the Canadian in the final.
2008 Wimbledon, Second Round — Marat Safin
Could anyone have predicted this one? Djokovic came into Wimbledon as reigning Australian Open champion, the third seed, having reached five straight major semifinals, and was viewed as a genuine threat behind Federer and Nadal. Then Marat Safin, unseeded and ranked 75th, hampered his knee, unraveled his serve, and beat him in straight sets.
Djokovic sent down ten double faults, converted just one break point all match, and fell 6-4, 7-6(3), 6-2 on Centre Court in what was, at the time, the tournament’s biggest shock. Safin rode the momentum to the semifinals before losing to Federer, who went on to beat Nadal in one of the greatest finals the sport has ever produced.
