The 4 hours and 36 minutes that 39-year-old Novak Djokovic spent losing at the US Open brought his earliest exit at the tournament in two decades. The legendary player was in tears and felt sick during the match as his body could no longer cope with the heat and humidity. It simply gave up on him. Unbearable pain in his back and shoulder left the champion unable to fight to the finish. "I pretty much despised every moment that I spent on the court for that," he admitted. Yet despite that ordeal, he still thanked New York. For an era-defining player now outside the top 10, this painful slide may prove to be the start of the grand finale of his career.