US Open 2026 Round 1: Djokovic OUT, Is This the End? Tsitsipas Beats Fils, Alcaraz Cruises, Rublev & Tiafoe Survive

Novak Djokovic is OUT of the US Open in the first round after a five-set loss to Mariano Navone.

But is this the end for Novak, or simply the beginning of a very different final chapter?

Chris goes solo to unpack what Djokovic’s shock exit means for the 39-year-old, why retirement might still be a long way off, and whether his focus now shifts away from Grand Slams towards selected tournaments, records and a potential final run at the 2028 Olympics.

Also on the episode:

Stefanos Tsitsipas finally breaks his 0-5 record against Arthur Fils, coming from a set down and denying Fils the chance to go two sets to love up. After all the hype around Fils entering New York, was Tsitsipas’ recent improvement overlooked?

Elsewhere, Carlos Alcaraz cruises through his opener, Andrey Rublev and Frances Tiafoe survive five-set scares, while Alexei Popyrin and James Duckworth lead the Australian charge.

Plus, Draw Watch looks ahead to Ben Shelton v Hubert Hurkacz and Daniel Mérida v Andrey Rublev.

On the women’s side, Sabalenka, Swiatek, Pegula and Anisimova all make comfortable starts, while Maya Joint leads a promising group of Australians into the next round.

Talkn Tennis Podcast covering all the biggest stories from the 2026 US Open.

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