Novak Djokovic, 39, lost in the first round of the US Open for the first time ever. Mariano Navone beat him 7-6 (5), 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 in a four-hour, 36-minute slog on Sunday night.
This is the shocker. Djokovic has played the US Open plenty of times. He's never gone out in round one. The match dragged deep into the night, with both players grinding through five sets. Navone outlasted him when it mattered most, dominating the fourth and fifth sets after the first three were a toss-up.
Djokovic's age and durability have been questions all year. He came in banged up and fighting illness. The body gave out when the intensity peaked. Navone, 23 and hungry, sensed weakness and pressed. By the end, Djokovic couldn't keep up.
It's a landmark loss for one of tennis' all-time greats. No first-round exit at this tournament before. The window for another Slam title narrows.