Mariano Navone went from watching Novak Djokovic win his first Grand Slam in 2008 to sending his idol home with a 1st round exit in 2 decades: From Challenger grind to ‘La Navoneta’

NEW DELHI: Mariano Navone entered the Arthur Ashe Stadium as a lesser-known name, the 25-year-old Argentine faces one of the biggest names tennis has ever produced. He walked away with the biggest win of his career; and perhaps most notably, he beat a player he once watched and idolized.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, a 24-time Grand Slam champion, battled physical problems and frustration, but Navone refused to be intimidated by the opportunity or his opponent.The Argentine continued even after Djokovic dominated by winning the second and third sets. In the fourth, Djokovic visibly struggled while Navone sensed an opportunity and seized it. He ended up becoming the first player to beat Djokovic in the opening round of the US Open, giving the Serb his first Grand Slam exit in two decades.But for Navone, the significance went beyond the scoreboard.“(It was) very difficult for me because you’re playing with the ‘GOAT’ on this court,” Navone said, recalling the surreal experience of facing his childhood idol. “It’s definitely the best I’ve been on court. This is an amazing court and the biggest stage. It’s amazing, the way we play. I mean, five sets… I’m very happy. I don’t know. What can I say?”And then came the simplest description of what the night meant to him: “It’s unbelievable. It means a lot. It’s a dream come true.”

From weekends spent in the club to the biggest stage

Navone’s relationship with tennis began long before the bright lights of New York. When he was just three years old, he picked up a racket at a local club in Argentina. Tennis was not something that entered his life from the outside, it was already woven into his family.“I learned from a coach. My sister, mother and father all play tennis. They love tennis,” Navone said in a 2023 interview.The club quickly became almost a second home. His uncle, family members and friends were regular opponents, and Navone spent much of his childhood there.“I played a lot of matches at the club with my uncle, family, friends. I used to go to the club all the time. At seven or eight I would spend five or six hours all weekend. I was there all the time when I was a kid!”That early immersion helped shape the player he eventually became: competitive, durable and comfortable playing long games.However, his rise was far from overnight.Navone spent years on the ATP Challenger circuit before breaking into the top 100 in the world. By 2023, he had won five Challenger titles, all in the previous year. These tournaments became the foundation of his professional career and, he explained, changed his perspective on the sport.“The challenges changed my life,” he said. “I made my first final in 2022 in Corrientes. At that time I was around 520 in the rankings. The Challenger level gave me everything. The matches are very intense. The competition, the players are so special. They developed my game and my mentality. It’s still a challenge to win matches. It’s very hard to win.”

Rise of “La Navoneta”

Navone’s breakthrough came at the 2023 Rio Open. He entered the ATP 500 without a single tournament-level win, leaving it as one of the biggest stories of the week.He previously went 0-2 at the tour level, losing in the first round in Cordoba and then in Buenos Aires. Rio changed everything.From qualifying, Navone beat Federico Coria, Yannick Hanfmann, Joao Fonseca and defending champion Cameron Norrie to reach the final. He became only the 11th qualifier to reach the ATP 500 final since the streak began in 2009.His run also moved him up the rankings. From number 113, he was supposed to break into the world top 100 for the first time, and with the title he could climb up to 40th place.There was another part of Navone’s growing identity that fans began to embrace. It was his nickname “La Navoneta”.“La Navoneta” is a playful reference to “La Scaloneta”, a nickname associated with Argentina national football team manager Lionel Scaloni.“La Navoneta is the same but with less people because I’m not very famous!” Navone said. “People represent me with that because I have charisma, so I think people represent me with that name. People don’t say ‘Mariano’, they say ‘La Navoneta’!”The nickname was fitting for a player whose rise has become a story of momentum, perseverance and faith.Yet there was another Argentinian influence in his tennis. Navone grew up admiring David Nalbandian, especially the backhand of the former world number three. He called Nalbandian a very good player and person.But above all, Djokovic was there.Navone’s admiration for the Serb began when he watched Grand Slam tennis as a child. He remembers watching Djokovic win his first title at the Australian Open in 2008 and immediately recognizing something special.“I saw him at Roland Garros because I was playing my first Grand Slam (last) year and I was like, ‘Wow!’ I’m rooting for Djokovic, I think he’s the best player I’ve seen on court. When I saw him win his first Grand Slam at the 2008 Australian Open, I was like, ‘Wow, this guy is very special!’ and what a career, right?”Years later, the boy who watched Djokovic from afar stood over the net at the biggest tournament of his life.And this time it was Navone who remembered to send his idol home.