US Open. Djokovic and Sabalenka lost in the first round

US Open. Djokovic and Sabalenka pair lost in the first round

The tandem of Aryna Sabalenka and Novak Djokovic, considered one of the main favorites in the mixed doubles of the US Open tournament, which is part of the "Grand Slam" series, which started in New York, left the tournament with an unexpected defeat.

The pair of world number one tennis player Aryna Sabalenka and 24-time winner of the "Grand Slam" tournaments Novak Djokovic took the court in the 1/8 finals against the tandem of Henry Patten (Great Britain) and Katerina Siniakova (Czech Republic).

In a tight match, Sabalenka and Djokovic managed to restore the balance, despite leading 4:1 in the first set. As a result, the Czech and British tennis players won 1:4, 4:2, 10:2 (super tie-break) and advanced to the quarterfinals.

Thus, the pair of Belarusian and Serbian racket masters completed the tournament in the first round.

For information, the 38-year-old Djokovic is ranked 5th in the ATP ranking. During his career, he won 101 titles, 24 of which are Grand Slam tournaments (a record result among men). He is also the gold medalist of the 2024 Paris Olympics, the bronze medalist of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and the winner of the Davis Cup (2010). The Serbian tennis player is also the absolute record holder for leading the ATP ranking as the first racket of the world.

Sabalenka is 27 years old and has been ranked first in the WTA ranking since October 2024. The athlete has 23 major tournament victories. He has won four Grand Slam tournaments - the Australian Open twice (2023, 2024) and the US Open (2024, 2025).