Tim Henman and Marion Bartoli have both reacted to Novak Djokovic’s alarming 2026 US Open defeat, with the former world No 1’s physical condition emerging as the major talking point after a draining first-round loss.

Djokovic fell 7-6(5), 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 to 49th-ranked Mariano Navone in Arthur Ashe Stadium, an upset that ended after four hours and 36 minutes. The 39-year-old was clearly struggling in the closing stages, and the match finished with visible signs that his body was no longer responding as needed.

Afterwards, the 24-time major champion described what he was dealing with in stark terms. “It’s something that I’ve been carrying, unfortunately, pretty much every match this year: vomiting, throwing up, a serious issue there,” Djokovic explained.

“Then my whole body starts to collapse, cramping and pain. The back just gave up in the end, and shoulder, and I couldn’t close it out.”

Djokovic also made clear how difficult the contest felt from start to finish. “When it comes to match itself and the overall feeling of how I felt with my body and playing, it was really not enjoyable.

“I pretty much despised every moment that I spent on the court for that.”

Henman, speaking on Sky Sports, said the scenes made for painful viewing. “It was a tough watch. Djokovic wasn’t feeling well out on court,” said the former world No 4.

“He gave it his absolute all to find a way through the match. When he was up two sets to one with a break in the fourth, you thought he could.

“But he was vomiting on the court and didn’t have the energy. Navone kept on fighting and, with youth on his side, he ran away with the fourth and fifth set.

“His mentality and will to win is still good enough [to win titles], but when you see the physical challenges of being 39 and what his body is going through and trying to find solutions — it’s tough.

“When you hear him saying he ‘despised being out there’, that’s awful.

“I’m sure he will go away and assess things because that’s not the way we want to see Djokovic depart any tournament.”

Bartoli also highlighted the severity of the situation, calling Djokovic’s struggle “heartbreaking” and “worrying.”

“It was so sad to watch. To see him suffer that much was heartbreaking,” said the former world No 7.

“The way he was physically suffering is worrying. His health should come first, so he needs to have proper medical checks to see what happens.”

Andy Roddick has taken issue with Terence Atmane after the Frenchman clashed with the trainer during his first-round defeat to Jaume Munar at the US Open.

Atmane’s difficult record in the majors continued on Sunday, when he fell in five sets after a match that swung sharply in both directions. The 24-year-old was two sets ahead before cramping began to affect him in the third set. Munar responded by taking the next two sets, and then, early in the fifth, Atmane called for the trainer again as fatigue set in.

Although he had already received treatment for his leg earlier in the contest, the trainer did not come back at 2-1 down in the decider, apparently because the issue was viewed as cramping. Players are not allowed a medical timeout for muscle cramping, though treatment can still be given during changeovers or set breaks. Atmane reacted angrily and asked if the physio was “stupid”.

Munar stayed composed and completed a 6-7 (5), 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (4), 7-5 victory after around five hours on court. Roddick, the 2003 US Open champion, then weighed in and drew a line between frustration at umpires and abuse directed at trainers.

He said on the latest episode of Served, “Like, you get an umpire, they’re not your livelihood. They’re not there for you late. They’re not there till two in the morning, adding three hours to their day. Like, I’ve snapped at an umpire.

“So I’m not going to say you can’t say anything to anyone because that’s completely hypocritical by me, right? I’ve showed the worst side of myself on court. Trainers are untouchable. They’re untouchable. You know, it’d be like saying that to your doctor. They hustle. They’re away from their families. They travel.”

Roddick also said he knows Atmane and his team well, but felt this crossed a line. “If I saw Atmane… And I like Atmane socially. I’m in his section of the locker room. Always great. I’ve talked to him and his coach ( Guillaume Peyre) this week. I really, really like him,” he added.

“And if I saw him, a piece of unwanted advice, potentially, would be, ‘Dude, you can’t say that to trainers’. They’re like the holy grail of the fabric of the tour. I thought that was a bad moment.

“Hopefully, he’ll realise that, you know. And I don’t know if he needs to apologise. But just maybe know that that’s not the one. I feel pretty strongly about that. So it was drama.”

Greg Rusedski has urged observers not to rule out Novak Djokovic after the Serbian endured his earliest Grand Slam departure in two decades.

The 39-year-old was beaten in five sets by Mariano Navone on Sunday, a match that left him visibly distressed on Arthur Ashe Stadium as he fought back tears and vomited into a bin while his body seemed to give way.

Djokovic entered the US Open among the leading contenders for the title. With world No 1 Jannik Sinner sidelined by injury and Carlos Alcaraz only just returning from a wrist issue, the 24-time major winner had strong reason to believe the draw could open up for him. Instead, the Argentine held firm to win 7-6 (7-5) 5-7 4-6 6-2 6-1.

Afterward, Djokovic gave a sobering account of the physical problems he has been managing. “I think it was obvious that it was an awful feeling for me on the court,” said the fourth seed. “It’s something that I’ve been carrying, unfortunately, pretty much every match this year: vomiting, throwing up, a serious issue there.

More US Open News

ATP Rankings: How many points did Novak Djokovic drop at US Open, how much prize money did he earn?

All 21 withdrawals from 2026 US Open as three-time Grand Slam finalist joins growing list

“Then my whole body starts to collapse, cramping and pain. The back just gave up in the end, and shoulder, and I couldn’t close it out.”

Djokovic added, “ I don’t know [how I can solve the problem]. I don’t want to go into too much detail right now. I’m just trying to understand what’s going on and how much longer I can keep going like this.”

Rusedski pointed to Djokovic’s run to the Australian Open final, where he beat Sinner, and his place in the Wimbledon semi-finals as reasons for restraint. Speaking on Off Court, he argued that two straight defeats, in Cincinnati and at the US Open, should not define the bigger picture.

He said on Off Court, “Well, we’ve only seen the deterioration really this US Open and in Cincinnati. Wimbledon, we didn’t see anything. He still made the semis. In the heat in Australia, he made the finals.

“So you’re talking about this deterioration. It’s all relative, isn’t it? It’s only been the last few weeks since Wimbledon. Most people’s careers would have been set up for life. Finals of Australia, semis of Wimbledon. That’s a pretty good season for most human beings. So let’s not write him off quite yet.

“And if the body still allows him to do what he needs out there, let’s keep him in the game as long as, as long as he can be there. So that’s the balance. Will he physically be able to sustain and will he be satisfied going out earlier at the very biggest events in the world? This is a little bit of a shock.

“It’s a bad draw for him as well, the opening round. We talked about it in the lead up to the US Open saying he was in a tough section and we all knew he had a difficult opener, especially having had no form from Cincinnati and losing early.”

Rusedski also suggested that Djokovic’s reduced schedule may be part of the issue. At the same time, he noted that the depth across the game has become far more demanding, especially from the first round onward.

“I think the issue is, two out of three sets, no problem. But if you look at his preparation, he’s not being able to get enough matches. And you know, when [Roger] Federer was at his peak, he played 12 tournaments a year, but he’d win seven of those tournaments. Novak nowadays, the depth is a lot stronger,” he said.

“So if you look like from say three to 20, it’s probably slightly weaker, but then you go from 10 to 100 and the depth is brutal. So from the first round, you’ve got to show up. If you’re not at your best from the beginning, it makes life much more difficult.

“The question for me is, if he plays more two out of three set tournaments, that’s going to get him great preparation for the slams. So it’s a chicken and egg. Will the body allow him to play those matches and those tournaments?

“So let’s see if he can get it back. And as he said, if he plays two or three set matches, there’s still tournaments he can win and he can still win more events. And he still loves the love he’s getting from the fans.”