It had to be seen to be believed.

Twenty-four-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic struggling to put away a young Argentinian journeyman and going down in five sets in the first round of a slam.

When  Novak Djokovic dropped the first set, one thought, OK, he will come back; Novak has too much firepower for this young fella, and besides, his tennis IQ and experience will carry the day.

Novak battled back and won the next two sets, but he looked a shadow of himself. He moved slower, there was no sting in his ground strokes, he began vomiting.

Just a few weeks ago he was overcome by conditions in Cincinnati and lost there. At Wimbledon this summer, he seemed unable to deal with the heat and was swatted aside by Sinner.

For years Djokovic would come out on top in grinding duels that went on for at least five hours or more. Now his body seems to be letting him down. If conditions are humid, it sucks the life out of him, rendering him unable to play his best. 

Last night wasn’t too hot in New York, but Djokovic had to take tablets and was constantly stretching and limping. It wasn’t a good look for one of the true warriors of the game. The anguished looks from his team told the story.

With Djokovic flailing and unable to dominate rallies, Mariano Navone took the fight to the Serb, making him work hard for points. The young Argentine was very quick around the court and sensed he could take Djokovic out.

Once the match passed the three-hour mark with another set to play, one knew that Djokovic was in trouble.

With the match going to a fifth set and Djokovic barely able to return the ball, one would have thought he might throw in the towel, but he showed character and hung in there.

At the end it looked like a young guy beating up on an old man, and it was unbecoming to watch.

Novak Djokovic went out in the first round of a Grand Slam for the second time in 20 years.

Last year he made it to the quarters of all Grand Slams. This year he struggles in the latter stages of the big tournaments.

Answering a question on his fitness and why he gets ill on court,  the tennis legend said: “ It is something that I’ve been carrying unfortunately pretty much every match this year.

“Vomiting, throwing up, serious issues there and then my whole body starts to collapse, basically cramping and pain and the back just gave up in the end and shoulder, and I couldn’t close it out.”

It was difficult to see the great champion crying and looking disconsolate in his chair during the match.

Over the last two seasons he has won over a lot of fans.  There are many who are rooting for him and would like to see him win one more Grand Slam.

On his best day, he can beat anybody, including Alcaraz and Sinner. 

But he has to now fend off the young guns like Ben Shelton.

This weekend, Roger Federer was inducted into the Tennis Hall of Fame, and Rafa Nadal has walked away from competitive tennis. Some may argue that it is time Djokovic did the same, that he should leave on a high rather than be seen taking punishment from youngsters honoured to share a court with him

He needs to go away and seek out the problems he is having with his body. Does he have respiratory issues?

Novak Djokovic can still find glory, and he should make that his mission for 2027. Take it easy for the remainder of the year. Take care of his body, don’t play too many tournaments, and save himself for the slams. We saw Pete Sampras come back and win the US Open in 2002 before going off into the sunset. Why not Novak?