Novak Djokovic, the No. 4 seed, lost in the first round of the 2026 US Open to unseeded Mariano Navone in a four-hour, 36-minute match at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Sunday night, his earliest Grand Slam exit in more than 20 years. ^[1] Top-seeded Alexander Zverev defeated Lorenzo Sonego 6-4, 3-6, 6-7 (7), 7-5, 6-4 in the first round of the 2026 US Open on Wednesday morning, avoiding becoming the first men's No. 1 seed to lose in the opening round of a Grand Slam since 2003. ^[2] Alexander Zverev won his first Grand Slam title at the French Open, lost to Jannik Sinner in the Wimbledon final, and became the No. 1 seed in a major for the first time after Sinner withdrew with a right knee injury. ^[3] Carlos Alcaraz, the defending champion, beat Roman Safiullin in straight sets in his first singles match in over four months after recovering from a wrist injury. ^[4] The match between Zverev and Sonego lasted four hours and 53 minutes and was played under difficult conditions due to relentless rain at Flushing Meadows. ^[5] Alexander Zverev, the top seed, secured his 18th career Grand Slam five-set win out of 27 attempts. ^[6] The match lasted four hours and 53 minutes, marking the longest first-round match of Alexander Zverev's career. ^[7] The match between Alexander Zverev and Lorenzo Sonego ended on Wednesday morning after lasting 4 hours and 52 minutes. ^[8] Organisers will have to complete a total of 14 first-round matches on Wednesday, including those that were suspended due to rain. ^[9] Taylor Fritz, the ninth seed, moved past 18-year-old compatriot Darwin Blanch 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 to advance in the second match of the day. ^[10] Alexander Zverev has won 70 percent of his Grand Slam five-set matches since his 2015 debut. ^[11]