Navone, on cloud nine after her greatest achievement: "Djokovic is the GOAT and I have defeated him at the US Open"

And how deserving the good Argentine is. What a way to endure a situation that would have overwhelmed many. Not Mariano Navone, who found strength in every set to work the miracle on Arthur Ashe against Novak Djokovic.

In five sets, against a man who hadn’t lost in his Grand Slam debut since 2006, although perhaps now is not the time to expose all the records that were broken tonight. Now is the time to listen to Mariano Navone, the great hero of the day in this US Open that could not have started with a bigger earthquake. His words are the words of a man who has seen how dreams can become reality if you never stop working.

Mariano Navone reveals the key to his victory over Djokovic

“It's hard to think about the match right now. It's too late. But it was a tough match, a battle. Playing against Novak for the first time, on the biggest stage we have right now in the tennis world, is crazy. He had never lost in the first round for 20 years, so it’s incredible. For me, the mental part was the best. I was down two sets to one and also a break down in the fourth, but at that moment, I felt it. My game started to get better from there. The fifth set was also tough because I knew he was injured and not feeling well. It's complicated to play against him like that because you know you have a lot of chances to win. I had a lot on my mind. I’m very happy with all of this.”

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A victory he will never forget

“I had never played on Arthur Ashe and never played against Novak. This is the first time I win a five-set match; before this, I think I had lost four. We will remember this moment for a long time. Beating Novak in the first round of a Grand Slam is important for me, for the development of my game and also of my mind, because I truly found my level when I was playing against Novak. I don’t know what else to say. Novak is the GOAT of this sport. I beat him at the US Open, on Arthur Ashe, and in a night session. It’s, without a doubt, one of the best moments I’ve experienced in tennis.”

From admiring Djokovic to defeating him on Arthur Ashe

“When you’re a kid and think about playing tennis, you dream of being on the biggest stage in the world and having the opportunity to face these players. I grew up watching Novak, Roger, and Rafa. I would wake up many times very early to watch Novak in Australia, at Roland Garros, or at the US Open, and I stayed up late before going to school. My mother told me she hated me for that, but it meant a lot to me. When you have the opportunity to play against him, you dream of defeating him on a stage like this because you grew up with it. It may be a dream come true. It has been a pleasure.”

Mariano Navone, master of emotions

“I had to keep my head in the moment, in my game and in the important things on my side. I couldn’t be looking at Novak the whole time. It’s hard to feel good after four and a half hours, for sure. I saw him a bit unsure in the fifth set and he also had some moments of fatigue in the first, but he is Novak. He’s the GOAT and always finds the key to win against someone. I think the best thing I did was to focus on my side, on my coach, and the strategy I had to follow at every moment. That’s the part I can control.”

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Navone, en una nube tras su mayor hazaña: “Djokovic es el GOAT y le he ganado en el US Open”