Novak Djokovic experienced a tough loss and physical strain in his first tournament appearance since Wimbledon, falling to Argentina’s Thiago Agustin Tirante in a draining three‑set battle at the Cincinnati Open. After a long hiatus from the ATP circuit—his last match being a defeat to Jannik Sinner at Wimbledon on July 10—Djokovic entered the hard‑court event with high expectations, yet the sweltering Ohio conditions quickly took their toll.
The Serbian opened the match brightly, seizing the opening set 6‑2 with his trademark aggressive baseline play. However, the heat and humidity soon began to sap his energy, and the second set turned into a grueling contest. Djokovic managed to hold on for a 4‑4 tie before Tirante broke his serve for the first time of the match, eventually clinching the set 6‑4.
The Argentine’s break came at a crucial moment, after converting his fourth break point of the game, and he cemented the victory by serving out the decider. During the second set, Djokovic endured a particularly taxing stretch that saw him endure an 18‑minute game, fending off four break points and navigating nine deuces. At one point he required a medical timeout, and later in the match he was seen dropping to his hands and knees, clearly battling dehydration and heat exhaustion. At one stage he appeared to vomit, underscoring just how severe the conditions were.
The entire encounter lasted two hours and forty‑five minutes, a testament to both players’ resilience but also a clear indicator that the weather was a decisive factor. After the match, Tirante expressed the magnitude of his achievement, describing the win as the best of his career.
He highlighted his ability to manage nerves when facing a legend like Djokovic and noted that the pressure of not being able to break serve was a key element in his strategy. "I had many chances to break, and when I finally did at 4‑4 in the third set, it changed everything," he said. He also spoke about staying confident with his team and reflecting on the performance after the match.
Djokovic entered Cincinnati as the third seed, despite being ranked fifth globally. The draw was unusually open because world No. 1 Jannik Sinner withdrew after a knee injury, and world No.
3 Carlos Alcaraz was also absent while nursing a lingering wrist problem. This reshuffling gave lower‑ranked players a clearer path to deeper runs, and Tirante now looks ahead to a third‑round clash with Spain’s promising youngster Martin Landaluce. In other tournament news, top seed Alexander Zverev survived a late‑night, rain‑delayed match that concluded at 2:15 a.m. local time.
After dropping the first set to Cameron Norrie 3‑6, Zverev rallied to take the next two sets 6‑3, 6‑3, thereby averting a third consecutive defeat. Zverev, who recently captured the French Open title, had returned to competition in Montreal following his Wimbledon final loss to Sinner, only to be upset in the first round by Tallon Griekspoor. Meanwhile, Wimbledon semi‑finalist Arthur Fery continued his impressive run, edging past James Duckworth in a tightly contested three‑set match that ended 6‑4, 2‑6, 7‑6. Fery’s victory showcased his mental toughness, especially during the decisive tiebreak, and reaffirmed his status as a rising star on the tour.
British No. 2 Katie Boulter’s campaign was halted in the second round when she fell 6‑3, 6‑3 to Czech powerhouse Linda Noskova, the reigning Wimbledon champion. Noskova dominated the serve, delivering ten aces compared with Boulter’s none, and she capitalized on four of the nine break points she created, while being broken only once in return.
The Cincinnati Open continues to provide a mix of seasoned veterans and hungry newcomers, all contending with the unforgiving summer heat that has already influenced several outcomes. Fans can follow live scores, video highlights, and in‑depth analysis through the Sky Sports app, and those interested in streaming the action without a contract can use the NOW platform.
The tournament also serves as a key preparation event ahead of the US Open, which will begin on August 30 and will be broadcast live on Sky Sports as well.