Djokovic Stunned in Opening Match at Cincinnati Open
Theo Al Jazeera
Novak Djokovic was stunned by Thiago Tirante in his opening match at the Cincinnati Open, falling 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 in a match marred by extreme heat and humidity. The Serbian, who has won the tournament three times, hinted this may be his final appearance there.
Novak Djokovic had a disappointing performance, exiting the Cincinnati Open in the second round. The Serbian fell 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 to Argentina's Thiago Tirante in a match that lasted over two and a half hours, heavily impacted by the fierce heat and humidity on court.
This was Djokovic's first match since losing to Jannik Sinner in the Wimbledon semifinals more than a month ago. The 24-time Grand Slam champion started well, taking the first set quickly against Tirante, but his stamina visibly declined as the match progressed in the sweltering conditions.
“It’s a combination of heat and humidity, all of it. Everything related just makes it worse,” Djokovic said after the match.
In the second set, Djokovic had to battle hard to win the third game, which lasted 18 minutes and saw him save four break points before requesting a medical timeout. He repeatedly collapsed to the court from exhaustion, receiving medical attention and ice packs during the match.
In the decisive set, Djokovic found his rhythm and led, but everything fell apart in the ninth game when he dropped serve. Tirante seized the opportunity to claim the biggest win of his career in the very next game, as Djokovic again erred on a crucial drop shot.
This defeat forced Djokovic to bid farewell to the Cincinnati Open, a tournament he has won three times, most recently in 2023. The 38-year-old admitted this could be his last appearance: “It looks like I won't be coming back here again, unfortunately.”
For Tirante, defeating the legend Djokovic is the most memorable milestone of his career. The Argentine said: “I managed to control the nerves of facing a legend like Novak. The pressure was really big.”
Meanwhile, top seed Alexander Zverev opened his campaign successfully but with difficulty. The French Open champion defeated Cameron Norrie 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 in two hours and 45 minutes, with the match ending at 2:15 AM. Zverev admitted his confidence was affected after his loss in Canada last week.
In the women's draw, young Filipino talent Alexandra Eala advanced to the third round after Elena-Gabriela Ruse retired due to an ankle injury while the match was suspended due to thunderstorms. Eala will face American Amanda Anisimova in the next round.
Other notable results at the Cincinnati Open include victories by Maja Chwalinska over Cristina Bucsa and Linda Noskova over Katie Boulter, both with a score of 6-3, 6-3. Meanwhile, Clara Tauson staged an impressive comeback to defeat Payton Stearns 7-6, 1-6, 7-5 despite back problems.
