JustTennis

It’s a strange coincidence that two of the GREATEST tennis legends from two different generation in Men’s tennis had to vomit on courts at Flushing Meadows in New York due to severe exhaustion during their matches that occurred 30 years apart.

First, it was Pete Sampras in his 1996 US Open quarterfinal match against the former Spanish tennis player Alex Corretja during the fifth and final set tie-breaker. The score was reading 1-1 in the tie-break when Sampras went against the court-banner near the baseline at Louis Armstrong Stadium. “Pistol” Pete somehow managed to win that fifth set tie-break 9-7 and the match. He even went on to win his fourth US Open title that year.

30 years later, Novak Djokovic was playing his first-round match at the 2026 US Open last evening against a young Argentine Mariano Navone at the Aurthur Ashe Stadium. Djokovic struggled significantly with dehydration, cramps and nausea throughout his shocking first-round loss for the first time in his career at the US Open since he won his first match there in 2005.

After losing the first set in a breaker, Novak vomited by the courtside towel box before breaking for 6-5 to win the second set. He vomited again in the third set while leading 5-4; 40-15 before securing the set. Djokovic vomited for the third time in the match at the very beginning of the fourth-set before surging to a brief 2-1 lead by breaking the serve of the Argentine. Completely gassed out from there, Djokovic eventually lost the fourth, and the deciding fifth set and the match.

The legendary Serbian who had won 24 Majors and an Olympics Gold in Singles in 2024 was battling against a very talented and aggressive young player Navone.

Sampras was 25-years-old in 1996, and Corretja was only three years younger to him. Djokovic is 39-years-old in 2026, and Navone who is 14 years younger to him was playing his heart-out right from the start of the match. This can happen to any player in tennis sport, especially in 5-sets Grand Slam matches.

Still, Novak HATERS are even calling this unfortunate physical struggle Novak endured in this match as a ‘drama’ enacted by the legendary Serbian who is the holder of almost ALL significant records in this grueling individual sport.

These types of tennis fans are just “internet bullies” on social media. Are they really humans to make such allegations about the GREATEST player ever in this sport.? One can only feel PITY for them🥲🙏

World No.49 Argentine Mariano Navone stopped the former World No.1 Novak Djokovic from advancing to the Round of 64 at the 2026 US Open. This was the first time Djokovic lost his first Round match at Flushing Meadows, New York since his debut 21 years back in 2005.!

Though Novak took the second and the third sets after losing the first one in a tie-break, and was able to get an early break on Navone’ serve to ago ahead 2-1 in the fourth set, the Argentine broke back immediately to level it 2-2. That loss of serve from Djokovic was certainly the turning point of the whole match.

Time has its time, and it was telling on Djokovic under the floodlights at Arthur Ashe stadium this evening. After that game, the veteran seemed to have lost all his steams, and the writing on the wall was very clear from there.

Still, Novak has to be credited and respected for fighting hard with a player 14 years younger to him in a five-sets Grand Slam match for 4 hours and 40 minutes at 39 years of age👍🙏

Navone played great tennis to outplay the veteran tennis player in the end. The Argentine truly deserved to win this match. BIG Congratulations to him👏👏

Novak Djokovic remains the consensus Greatest Of All Time (GOAT) in tennis based on absolute career achievements.

That said, Roger Federer is perhaps the ONLY multiple Slam Champions from the past, or former No.1 players in the world yet to recognize Djokovic in so specific terms.!

In November last year, the 1969 Calendar Slam winner Rod Laver said: “For a long time he thought Roger was in a category of his own, and then Novak kept winning, winning and winning. He forces you to reconsider things you thought were settled”. Then he explicitly highlighted that what makes Djokovic the ultimate standout is his ability to dominate for nearly two decades while facing both Federer and Nadal at their absolute peak.

Rafa Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz were at least broad-minded enough to concede that mathematically and statistically Djokovic holds that undisputed crown. Rafa said Djokovic is the greatest in history soon after he won his 24th Major, the 2023 US Open.

During the 2026 Monte Carlo Masters, after winning his career Grand Slam early this year defeating Novak in the AO Championship match, when asked about the best ever player Carlos said: “As far as numbers, it’s Novak Djokovic without a doubt”.

Soon after Novak won his 2023 French Open getting past Nadal’s 22 Slam titles, while responding to a question on GOAT status, what Roger told the interviewer was “Rafa is still playing”.! The Spaniard retired two years back in October 2024. Now for Roger to say: “It’s fine for him” if Novak is considered or acknowledged as the GOAT is really BAFFLING.

One can understand his reaction this way though. Federer was on a CRESCENDO and riding high on his pride and confidence before Djokovic won the second Major of his career, the Australian Open in 2011. By the end of the year 2010, Roger had already won 16 Slam titles, Nadal 9 Slams and Djokovic had only a single Major, the AO 2008 title to his credit.

Can any tennis fan or even Roger himself would have seen in their wildest ever possible nightmare dreams, that the Serb would finally end up with more Slam titles than either Roger or even Rafa from that position.? No way.!

At the beginning of the year 2011, 16 > 9 > 1, and by the end of the year 2023, it became 20 < 22 < 24.! What a chase for Slam titles that was from the legendary Serbian in the last 13 years of his GLORIOUS career👏👏

Those numbers are NEVER going to change even if Novak doesn’t win a single Slam match from here. Neither will it alter his GOAT status until some other player wins 25 Grand Slams in the future.!

BRAVO Nole❤️💪

When "anyone can beat anyone, and anyone can lose to anyone" these days in Men’s tennis, will there be one, two, three, or even four dark horses to upset the apple-cart by reaching the last eight at the 2026 US Open Tennis Championships.?!?

Roger Federer lost to Novak Djokovic in that pulsating 2019 Wimbledon Championship match.

Years later, while looking back at his career, Roger doesn’t see it as his toughest loss. He says he has more regrets for losing his five-consecutive US Open titles streak to Juan Martín del Potro in 2009, and many more against Rafa Nadal, than his loss against Djokovic in the Finals of 2019 Wimbledon.

This can’t be true for many reasons.

First, Roger was statistically ahead in every aspect of the game against Novak in that memorable match for any tennis fan. Plus, he had two match points while serving for the Championship at 8-7; 40-15 in the deciding fifth and final set. But the Serb saved those with spectacular returns, and brought the title by playing a superb tie-break with the score reading 13-12 (3) in the end.

In the other two matches Roger mentioned as still haunting him, he was NEVER a match-point up at any stage against Delopo or Nadal.

Second, the result of the 2019 Wimbledon finals eventually turned out to the ‘determining’ factor for the G.O.A.T. status in Men’s tennis. Before that final was played, the Grand Slam tally of Federer was No.20, and that of Nadal was 18. With only 15 Majors to his credit, Djokovic was lagging far behind both.

If Roger had won that title, he would have been ahead on Novak by a huge six numbers in Slam titles, with Novak remaining at 15 there. It would have been extremely difficult for the Serb to get past him later. What a final sprint in a period of about four years that was from the legendary Serbian to win 15 to 24 Slam titles in his career so far👏👏

Roger now says, maybe it haunted some other people and not him as he was able to move on from that loss.

Yes, it certainly still haunts for fans of Roger if not for the “Swiss Maestro” himself. The same way Djokovic getting past Nadal’s Slam number of 22, by winning the 2023 French Open title is still haunting the fans of the “King of Clay”.!

But then, that’s DESTINY🙏 They have to live with it now as there’s no other choice.!

Roger Federer who had won five consecutive US Open titles from 2004 to 2008 says as long as Novak Djokovic is in the draw, he still has a chance to win another Grand Slam.

Not sure whether Roger's fans will have the same opinion.!

Wish Good Luck to Nole during the last Slam of this year starting on August 30 at Flushing Meadows, New York👍🙏

2026 Wimbledon Finals took place on Sunday, July 12, 2026 with the current World No.1 Jannik Sinner winning the Championship for the second successive year.

PIF ATP Rankings were updated on following Monday, the 13th with Sinner at No.1, Alexander Zverev at No.2, Carlos Alcaraz at No.3 and Felix Auger-Aliassime at No.4. Two ATP Masters 1000 tournaments were played out since then, with 23-year-old Ben Shelton winning the Canadian Open last week, and the 22-year-old Arthur Fils winning at the Cincinnati Open yesterday evening.

In spite of Sinner and Alcaraz not playing either in Montreal or in Ohio, isn’t surprising to see the same set of players among the Top 10 in ATP rankings after five weeks and two Maters event on August 24.!

While Novak Djokovic and Flavio Coboli have improved their rankings from No.7 & No.9 to No.5 & No.6, Alex de Minaur and Ben Shelton have gone down in their rankings from No.6 & No.5 to No.7 & No.9 respectively. Sinner, Zverev, Alcaraz, Aliassime, Daniil Medvedev and Taylor Fritz have all retained their respective ranking positions.

It clearly indicates the bright new faces outside the current Top 10 or Top 20 in ATP have done wonderfully well in the last 4-5 weeks, just before the last Slam of the year US Open starting on August 30th.

Congratulations to the young guns👏👏DAMN Good for the future of Men’s tennis👌 With Jannik not playing, Djokovic is assured of being seeded No.4 in New York this year even at the age of 39.!

22-year-old Frenchman Authur Fils is the 2026 Cincinnati Open Champion as he defeated the 28-year-old American Frances Taifoe in a quick roller-coaster 3-sets finals to win his first ever Masters 1000 title. The BIG Foe was the 2024 Finalist in Ohio. HUGE Congratulations to Arthur👏👏

There are not many players who had won an ATP 1000 event such a young age. With this win, Fils has jumped up ten places in ATP rankings to No.11 in two weeks’ time, He was at No.21 for the week started on August 10, 2026. Great achievement by Fils👌

It’s so nice to see so many young players in Men’s tennis getting ready to take on each other in BIG Tournaments. The HYPE around the SINCARAZ rivalry built by many tennis “pundits” as something to last for the next 5-10 years may after all be very short-lived.!

Andre Agassi, the former No,1 player in the world has paid rich tribute to Novak Djokovic by stating that his historic achievements remain vastly undervalued by the tennis world.

Agassi’s latest insight on the 24-time Slam winner and the Olympics Gold Medallist come from his featured commentary in the newly released Amazon Documentary, Novak Djokovic, The Wolf in Winter.

Yes, ANYBODY can chase what Novak Djokovic has accomplished in his career, but NOBODY can touch him. It’s as clear as it gets as the American tennis icon put it across👏👏

BRAVO Nole💪

The Current World No.1 Jannik Sinner successfully defended his 2025 Wimbledon title in early July this year. Since then, the Italian hasn’t played any tour-level match and has now decided to sit-out during the last Slam of the year 2026, the US Open Tennis Championships, as he needed more time to recover from his right knee issues.

At the same time, the former World No.1 Carlos Alcaraz who hasn’t played any tournament since he suffered a right-wrist injury during his first match at ATP 500 Barcelona Open in April last, will be there to defend his title at Flushing Meadows in New York.

Strange coincidences in Men’s tennis.!!

Wish Carlos Good Luck, and Jannik a speedy recovery👍🙏