Aging Legends Face Uncertain Futures After US Open Losses

NEW YORK — The tennis futures of Novak Djokovic and Venus Williams are in question after both fell on the first day of the US Open main draw Sunday.

Djokovic, ranked No. 5 in the world, had the more surprising loss of the two, falling to world No. 49 Mariano Navone in a five-set marathon at Arthur Ashe Stadium. It was the 24-time Grand Slam champion’s first time losing in the first round at the US Open, a tournament he’s won four times.

But he looked visibly ill throughout the match, vomiting several times and appearing to use an inhaler during breaks. The 39-year-old said after the match that he’s been dealing with health issues “pretty much every match this year.”

At the Cincinnati Open two weeks ago, Djokovic also lost in the first round, and also blamed health issues. He said then the issues are aggravated by heat and humidity, but Sunday’s match was mostly played under Arthur Ashe’s closed roof due to rainfall in Queens.

Asked whether he believes the issue can be fixed, Djokovic gave a rather defeated answer: “I don’t know. I’m trying, man. I’m trying. Let’s see.”

He gave a similar answer when asked to evaluate his play over the last few months, which includes a run to the semis in Wimbledon and an early exit in the round of 32 at the French Open. His best performance of the year came in January at the Australian Open, when he made the final after upsetting Jannik Sinner in the semis. (He would lose the final to Carlos Alcaraz in four sets.)

“I don’t know. I’m not going that deep right now. I’m just trying to address really what’s going on and how far I can go this way,” Djokovic said. 

While it’s unclear whether he will return for another year at the Grand Slam tournaments, he said last month after his loss at Wimbledon that he hopes to play the event “at least one more time.”

Venus’s Late Night

Later that night, Williams lost in straight sets to Sofia Kenin, bringing her singles losing streak to 15 matches in a row. The 46-year-old has not won since her singles return last July, when she beat Peyton Stearns at the DC Open. She was the oldest player to win a match in more than two decades.

Williams’s run at the US Open is not finished as she received a doubles wild card alongside her sister, Serena. The doubles tournament is set to start Thursday, though it’s unclear when the two-time US Open women’s doubles champions will compete.

Williams dismissed a question on whether she’s contemplating her future after the US Open: “I don’t think I should have to. I mean, my mind is fully focused on [doubles].”

She also said she needed to recover from an “insane evening,” referencing her match’s 12:13 a.m. start time, the latest for a match in US Open history. Her match with Kenin was scheduled for Arthur Ashe Stadium following Djokovic’s match with Navone, but it was moved to Louis Armstrong Stadium given the men’s match went for four hours and 36 minutes.

“I just don’t know any other sport where you have to start that late,” Williams said. “I definitely think there’s room for improvement there.”