John McEnroe has faced heavy criticism after his reaction to Mariano Navone’s surprise win over Novak Djokovic at the US Open appeared dismissive to many viewers.

Djokovic, a 24-time Grand Slam champion, was overcome during his five-set defeat on Arthur Ashe Stadium on Sunday, breaking down in tears and vomiting into a bin as the match slipped away. The fourth seed suffered his first opening-round loss at Flushing Meadows, and it marked the first time he had exited in the opening round of a Grand Slam since 2006.

After losing 7-6 (7-5) 5-7 4-6 6-2 6-1, Djokovic said, “I think it was obvious that that it was an awful feeling on the court for me. I don’t want to take too much out of Mariano’s win. Congrats to him, he’s a nice guy and a fighter – but I didn’t enjoy myself.

“It’s something that I have been carrying pretty much every match this year – vomiting, throwing up. And then my whole body starts to collapse basically, cramping and pain – the back just gave up in the end and shoulder, and I couldn’t close it out.”

The discussion soon shifted to McEnroe, whose remarks after Navone’s breakthrough drew a strong backlash on social media. Rather than focusing on the Argentine’s biggest career victory, the seven-time major winner noted that Navone would be heading to Court 21 in the next round, where he will meet Stan Wawrinka or Matteo Berrettini.

“You’ll be playing your second round on Court 21. We wish you the best. And he is going to have to try and play with that effort and intensity but enjoy the moment, young man,” said McEnroe.

That clip was then shared by Awful Announcing, prompting a wave of criticism from tennis fans. One user wrote, “McEnroe’s entire attitude towards Navone was despicable from the jump.” Another said, “Completely disrespectful. The Novak glazing was unbearable.” A further comment read, “John McEnroe is such a loser. Navone earned the biggest win of his life and immediately gets this said about him,” while another argued that world No 42 Navone, who has reached a career high of 29, should have been put on Arthur Ashe for McEnroe’s comments alone.

Others said they were “so f****** tired” of the pundit and former player, and one reaction said it was, “long past time for McEnroe to go away.” Some suggested he was trying to be funny but missed the mark. Incidentally, there isn’t a Court 21 at Flushing Meadows.

Novak Djokovic’s 2026 US Open began in the worst possible way, as he was beaten in the first round in New York for the first time in his career. The result also triggers a significant slide in the ATP Rankings.

With Jannik Sinner sidelined at Flushing Meadows because of a knee problem and Carlos Alcaraz still recovering from a wrist injury, Djokovic had been viewed by some as a leading contender for the season-ending major. Seeded fourth, he also appeared to have a workable section of the draw, with 16th seed Brandon Nakashima the highest-ranked player in his part of the bracket and a possible quarter-final meeting with seventh seed Daniil Medvedev or 11th seed Frances Tiafoe.

Few expected Mariano Navone to create serious trouble in the opening round. The Argentine was only making his third US Open appearance and had won just once at the event before this match.

Yet Navone pushed Djokovic early, taking the first set before the former world No 1 responded by winning the next two. Djokovic then seemed positioned to close it out after moving 2-1 ahead in the fourth set and earning an early break. But the world No 49 seized control from there, aided by Djokovic’s illness and lower back problem, and finished strongly by taking 11 of the last 12 games to complete a 7-6 (7-5), 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 victory.

Navone will next face either Matteo Berrettini or Stan Wawrinka, while Djokovic heads home.

The defeat carries a major ranking cost. Djokovic reached the semi-final at Flushing Meadows 12 months ago, losing to Carlos Alcaraz in a 6-4, 7-6 (7-4), 6-2 match that earned him 800 points. This year, a first-round exit is worth only 10 points, leaving him to drop 790 points overall.

He began the tournament at No 5 in the official rankings with 3,770 points, but has fallen six places to No 11 in the Live ATP Rankings, his lowest position in eight years, having last gone as low as No 21 in July 2018.

Prize money is unlikely to be a concern in the immediate aftermath, though Djokovic will still collect $140,000 for his first-round exit. His career earnings stand at $194,691,590, including $3,017,725 already earned in 2026.

Stan Wawrinka will make one last visit to the US Open after a late wildcard offered him an unexpected route into the main draw.

The three-time Grand Slam champion had been set to miss the tournament after the original men’s singles wildcards were allocated and the start of the event was less than 96 hours away. That changed when Patrick Kypson withdrew because of injury, prompting a late call on Wednesday to Wawrinka, who had already returned to Switzerland.

His exclusion from the initial list drew criticism because of his history at the event. Wawrinka won the 2016 title in New York, beating defending champion Novak Djokovic in four sets to claim the third and final Grand Slam trophy of his career.

At his pre-tournament press conference, he made clear how much the return means to him. “Right now, I’m feeling really good,” remarked the former world No 3 during his pre-tournament press conference.

“I’m super happy to be here and very grateful for the wildcard. For me, this is my last year and my last Grand Slam of my career, so of course it will be special when I step onto the court.

“I will feel it, that’s for sure. But I’m very excited and very happy. I’m enjoying having this opportunity to be here one last time.

“Playing this final year is, of course, special, but being able to compete at all four Grand Slams was important to me, and I’m enjoying it a lot.”

Wawrinka also said there were no hard feelings after the original omission. “It was a bit of a roller coaster [to be given the wildcard], of course, because I went back home to New York on Monday night.

“For me, at that moment, it felt like the end of my Grand Slam career. I would have loved to be here, so I had to accept those emotions after not receiving the wildcard, and I was fine with it.

“At the end of the day, I always say that the only way to be sure of playing in a tournament is to have the necessary ranking. I knew I wasn’t directly on the list, so I was hoping for a wildcard, but I also know that wildcards are not guaranteed.

“Not getting one wasn’t a problem for me. I was just sad that I couldn’t say goodbye to New York and the US Open. I received the call on Wednesday night, or Wednesday afternoon, when I was in the Swiss mountains. Of course, I was happy and had to quickly arrange my return.”

Now back in New York, he has resumed practice and will open against Matteo Berrettini on Monday night on the Grandstand. The pair recently met at Wimbledon in a match decided entirely by tie-breaks, with Berrettini winning 6-7(7), 7-6(16), 7-6(7), 7-6(5).

“It will be a very interesting rematch, of course,” he analysed.

“Wimbledon was a tough battle. It was a great match, and I think we both played well. Over four hours, four tie-breaks – it was really special, especially on Court 1.

“In the end, he is a really tough player to face. He’s a great guy and also a good friend, so it will be special to play against him here again.”