From watching Djokovic win 1st Slam to sending his idol home: Mariano Navone's story
Argentine tennis player Mariano Navone achieved a career-defining victory by defeating Novak Djokovic in the first round of the US Open. The match, which lasted over four hours, marked a significant upset as Navone overcame his childhood idol on the sport's biggest stage.
Why it matters
This represents a major shift in professional tennis, signaling the potential rise of new talent against established legends.
NEW DELHI: Mariano Navone walked into Arthur Ashe Stadium as the lesser-known name, a 25-year-old Argentine facing one of the biggest names tennis has ever produced. He walked out with the biggest victory of his career; and, perhaps most remarkably, having beaten the player he once watched and idolised.Navone stunned Novak Djokovic in the first round of the US Open on Sunday, winning 7-6 (5), 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 in a marathon that lasted four hours and 36 minutes. Djokovic, the 24-time Grand Slam champion, was battling physical problems and frustration, but Navone refused to be intimidated by the occasion or his opponent.The Argentine kept coming even after Djokovic took control by winning the second and third sets. By the fourth, Djokovic was visibly struggling, while Navone sensed an opportunity and seized it.
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