New York, August 31, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Novak Djokovic suffered a stunning first-round exit at the 2026 US Open as Argentina’s Mariano Navone produced the biggest upset of the opening day, while former champion Daniil Medvedev began his campaign with a straight-sets victory.
Fourth seed Djokovic, a four-time US Open champion and 24-time Grand Slam winner, was beaten 7-6(5), 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 by Navone in a marathon that lasted four hours and 36 minutes at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
The defeat marked Djokovic’s first opening-round loss at a Grand Slam since the 2006 Australian Open. He had been visibly troubled physically during the match, with vomiting, cramping and back and shoulder problems affecting his movement and ability to maintain his level.
Djokovic led by two sets to one and had an early break in the fourth, but Navone fought back decisively. The Argentine dominated the final two sets to secure the biggest victory of his career.
Medvedev, the 2021 US Open champion, made a far more comfortable return to Flushing Meadows by defeating French qualifier Hugo Gaston 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 in two hours and 14 minutes.
The seventh-seeded Russian had endured a chaotic first-round defeat to Benjamin Bonzi last year, but avoided a repeat with a controlled performance this time. His victory also moved him two places to No. 6 in the ATP Live Rankings, with only 10 points to defend during the tournament.
Medvedev, who has reached the second round for the eighth time at the US Open, will next face either American wild card Sebastian Gorzny or Raphael Collignon.
American Tommy Paul also advanced after recovering from a slow start to beat qualifier Coleman Wong 6-7(3), 6-1, 6-3, 6-3. Paul is chasing his first US Open quarter-final and, with it, the completion of a set of Grand Slam quarter-final appearances.
Croatian Dino Prizmic also claimed his first US Open main-draw victory after saving two match points at 4-5 in the deciding set and then winning three consecutive games to complete his comeback.
Meanwhile, Frenchman Luca Van Assche recorded a notable upset by defeating 29th-seeded Briton Cameron Norrie 6-7(8), 6-2, 6-2, 6-3. The victory gave Van Assche his first win over Norrie in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series and sent him into a second-round meeting with Denis Shapovalov.
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