Vomiting, cramping and in tears, Novak Djokovic looks ready to end his career

ARTHUR ASHE STADIUM — I have seen Novak Djokovic cry on this court before. It was five years ago, when he was one win away from a historic Grand Slam, winning all four majors in the calendar year. He was, however, being outplayed by Daniil Medvedev in the US Open final when, the stadium rose to chant his nickname in unison: “Nole, Nole, Nole”. Djokovic, who began his career as the disruptor to the beloved Roger Federer-Rafael Nadal duopoly, had to work hard to win fans over. But that final in New York, although it still ended in defeat, was evidence that he had their hearts. On that occasion, Djokovic cried tears of joy for something he had gained. Late on Sunday night, the 25-time major champion sobbed for something he had lost. The mind is willing – it always was – but the flesh has finally started to fail. The end is surely nigh. Djokovic was given a huge ovation by the Arthur Ashe crowd as he left on Sunday night (Photo: Reuters) It was hard to watch, as Djokovic was repeatedly sick on the side of the court en route to a 7-6 5-7 4-6 6-2 6-1 defeat to Mariano Navone, finishing at almost midnight. US broadcasters ESPN thought it necessary to play slow-motion replays of the Serb emptying his guts in shots so detailed it was possible to determine what flavour of electrolyte he had been drinking. They will re-play many more times the pictures of Djokovic leaving the court after a battle that lasted close to five hours. He gave a lengthy and heartfelt goodbye to the Arthur Ashe crowd – and given the circumstances it felt much more like “farewell” than “see you next year”. Djokovic said: “The love and appreciation they gave me in the end really touched my heart.” He added: “They were super nice. So grateful to experience this. When it comes to the match itself and overall feeling of how I felt with body and playing, it was really not enjoyable. I pretty much despised every moment that I spent on the court for that. “But from the perspective of the crowd and support, it was incredible, honestly from the beginning. They were trying to lift me up in important moments, and I’m very sorry that I didn’t perform as well as I should have or could have or wanted for them.” Arguably tennis’s greatest champion had never lost in the first round of the US Open and looked to have turned a corner when he took a two sets to one lead after three hours, even while he could not keep water in his stomach for more than a few minutes. But then his back seemed to seize up, a persistent shoulder injury returned, and Navone was eventually able to claim the biggest win of his career. As well as apparent illness, Djokovic was battling back and shoulder injuries (Photo: AP) Djokovic had lost his only hard-court warm-up match, beaten by another Argentine in the shape of Thiago Tirante. But he was also sick during that match and alluded afterwards to a health condition that makes it hard for him to cope with the heat and humidity. “It was an awful feeling on the court for me,” said Djokovic, who was in tears during the final set. “It’s something that I’ve been carrying, unfortunately, pretty much every match this year: vomiting, throwing up, a serious issue there. “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 admitted he considered quitting mid-match but was a break up in the fourth, a set that would have sealed the match if he could have served it out. However, he only managed one more game as Navone finally broke his opponent’s resistance, potentially writing his name in the history books as the last man to beat Djokovic at the tournament he has won four times in his legendary career. If it is the end, it was an oddly appropriate one. Against all the odds, Djokovic dared to push his body to deep, dark corners where mere mortals would rather have turned back. He raged, raged against the dying of the light for all he was worth. In the stands, his wife Jelena looked distraught. At one point she was practically in tears. Perhaps her body language gave away more than her husband’s. Perhaps Jelena knows this really is the end. On Saturday night, Federer was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame, four years after his emotional, perfectly stage-managed retirement. Perhaps he should be sending his great rival a few tips.