Novak Djokovic struggled physically during his Cincinnati Open opener, vomiting and collapsing to his knees before losing to Thiago Agustin Tirante in a shock result. World No.50 Tirante secured a 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 victory in a two-hour, 44-minute battle at the Masters 1000 tournament.
Physical struggles in the second set
Djokovic was playing his first match since losing in the Wimbledon semi-finals to Jannik Sinner and suffered a massive dip in energy during the second set. After one changeover, the Serbian veteran dropped to his knees in exhaustion and received a medical timeout, during which he was covered up by towels as he threw up.
The intense heat and humidity took its toll on Djokovic in Ohio as he suffered a demoralising defeat. Pre-match, he had said: "My body reacted quite well after Wimbledon. It was the best that my body felt after any Grand Slam in the last two years, to be honest."
Tirante's career-best win
Speaking after the win, Tirante, 25, said: "I think this is the best win of my career. I think I really did a good job inside the court. I managed very well the nerves of playing against a legend like Novak."
He added: "Now I feel relieved, because it is all so much pressure when you cannot break [serve]. I had so many points to break and I couldn't, so that was the key. Keep believing in myself with my team and think about it after the match."
Pre-match respect for Djokovic
Pre-match, Tirante had been full of praise for Djokovic, labelling him the GOAT and saying: "When I was young, I watched Djokovic on TV. I was always more [of a] Rafa supporter. But Novak is Novak. He is a very important person for the world and one of the most [key figures] for tennis. We are probably going to play on centre court in Cincinnati, so it is important that I won my first-round match."
He continued: "Novak's achievements are very important. He is the GOAT of tennis. You say tennis and Novak is there… For me it is very special. I practised with everyone. I practised with Roger, I practised with Rafa but I never practised with Novak. So to play against a legend like him is going to be very fun. I will try to enjoy it."
US Open preparation
Djokovic now has less than a fortnight to prepare for the final Grand Slam of 2026, the US Open. Rivals Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz could both miss the major having pulled out of Cincy due to knee and wrist injuries.
