Sam Querrey tells tennis fans what they must remember about Novak Djokovic after his shock US Open exit

It was not to be for the 24-time major champion, as he was beaten in the first round by Argentinian Mariano Navone.

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Djokovic struggled physically during the contest – so much so that he was forced to vomit.

“My whole body starts to collapse,” Djokovic told reporters in New York earlier this week.

Sam Querrey and John Isner have now offered their reactions to Djokovic’s American plight.

Sam Querrey tells tennis fans to remember how well Novak Djokovic has performed at Grand Slams this year

“This is not the best version of Novak, we know that. At 39 we can’t expect him to be as good as he was in years past,” Isner, the former Miami Open champion, said on the Nothing Major Show.

“But to me, it seems like he is dealing with some acute illness that he can’t quite get over.

“To me, this is more that he’s dealing with some sort of illness as opposed to him being completely done at 39 years old.

“Nobody knows what he is dealing with.

“If he can somehow get over this and get back to 100 per cent health then I think we will see him going relatively deep in Grand Slams going forward, if he still wants to keep playing these big tournaments.

“For right now, it’s this illness that is doing him in.

Novak Djokovic’s Grand Slam record in 2026

• Australian Open – runner-up [lost to Carlos Alcaraz]
• Roland Garros – third round [lost to Joao Fonseca]
• Wimbledon – semi-finals [lost to Jannik Sinner]
• US Open – first round [lost to Mariano Navone]

“This throwing up all over the court like he did and looking as bad as he did in Cincinnati. That is not just a product of being old, that is a product of him just being sick.

“Something is amiss right now.”

“I think people need to remember, because I feel like so much of the talking points around Novak are that he’s getting older and ‘I don’t know if he’s going to win a Slam,’” Querrey, the former world number nine and Wimbledon semi-finalist, added.

“All four Slams have been played this year, and he’s made the final of Australia and the semi-finals of Wimbledon.

“No matter what people want to say, he is not that far off.

“Carlos is a little hurt, Jannik is not here. If things shake out the right way, maybe, but it’s obviously getting tougher and tougher.”

Querrey is absolutely correct in his assessment of Djokovic’s plight.

It is very easy to forget that just seven months ago, Djokovic defeated Jannik Sinner in five sets to reach the Australian Open final.

In fact, the Serbian superstar came within two sets of winning his 25th major title before being pegged back by Carlos Alcaraz.

Of course, Djokovic will need to find a way to overcome his physical troubles and rejuvenate his career heading into the 2027 campaign.

Djokovic has made a career out of proving his detractors wrong, and one would not be surprised if he does so again in 2027.

Novak Djokovic’s first US Open title

The 2011 ATP campaign was something of a breakout season for Novak Djokovic.

The Serbian star won three Grand Slam titles that year and won 43 consecutive matches between the 2010 China Open and 2011 Roland Garros.

He also achieved the world number one ranking for the very first time after reaching the Wimbledon final.

He went on to secure his first Wimbledon title, beating Rafael Nadal in the final.

Djokovic again triumphed over Nadal two months later in the US Open final.

“It’s an incredible feeling. I’ve had an amazing year and it keeps going. Every time I play Rafa it’s a big challenge,” Djokovic said afterwards.

“He’s had a great tournament, and I wish we have many more tough matches in the coming years.”