In his first match since Wimbledon, Novak Djokovic struggled with the heat and humidity in Ohio, ultimately losing to Thiago Agustin Tirante in a grueling three-set contest at the Cincinnati Open. Djokovic, who had been inactive on the ATP Tour since his loss to Jannik Sinner on July 10, won the first set 6-2 but then lost the next two sets 6-4.
The 24-time major champion appeared to be severely affected by the heat, vomiting at one point, and required a medical timeout after an 18-minute third game in the second set. Tirante, who will face Spain's Martin Landaluce in the next round, made the decisive break at 4-4 in the final set and then closed out the win on serve.
Following the match, Tirante expressed his relief and pride in his performance, stating, 'This is the best win of my career. I managed my nerves well and played a good game.' Meanwhile, Djokovic, who was seeded third in Cincinnati despite being ranked fifth in the world, was unable to overcome the challenging conditions and his opponent's strong play.
The tournament continues without Djokovic, with top seed Alexander Zverev set to face Britain's Cameron Norrie in the second round. In other news, British women's No 2 Katie Boulter saw her campaign end in the second round with a 6-3 6-3 defeat to Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova.