Novak Djokovic suffered from punishing heat and humidity on Saturday, falling 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 to Argentina’s Thiago Tirante. This second-round battle lasted more than two and a half hours and proved too much for the 24-time Grand Slam champion, who was playing his first match since his Wimbledon semifinal loss to Jannik Sinner more than a month ago. The defeat may mark the Serb’s final appearance at the ATP-WTA Cincinnati Masters.
Djokovic, who claimed his last Cincinnati title in 2023, initially took the opening set with little difficulty. However, the sweltering afternoon temperatures took a significant toll. During a brutal 18-minute third game of the second set, Djokovic saved four break points across nine deuces. He was visibly distressed between points, at one stage dropping to his hands and knees. He subsequently took a medical timeout, receiving assistance from a physio and a doctor who used ice towels to help him manage the conditions.
After Tirante secured the second set, both players retreated to the locker room to cool off. Djokovic showed signs of recovery in the deciding set, but the match turned in the ninth game. Djokovic saved three break points but faltered on a drop shot, allowing Tirante to convert a fourth chance. Tirante clinched the biggest win of his career in the following game, as Djokovic again failed to land a drop shot on match point. The Serb admitted he might have played his final match in Cincinnati, stating, “It looks like I won’t be back, unfortunately, to play here.”
Tirante described the victory as the highlight of his career, noting the immense pressure of facing a legend like Djokovic. Meanwhile, top-seeded Alexander Zverev, the French Open champion who fell to Sinner in the Wimbledon final, had better fortune. He squeezed out a 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 victory over Britain’s Cameron Norrie in a match that lasted two hours and 45 minutes and concluded at 2:15am.
Norrie, who has now lost all eight of his meetings with the German, saved six break points in a 12-minute game to begin the deciding set, but was broken twice as Zverev advanced. “I needed to get a match rhythm,” Zverev said, noting his lack of confidence following an abrupt exit in Canada last week. “The first set was not great, but the other two were at a high level, and I’m happy about that.”
In the WTA draw, Philippines sensation Alexandra Eala advanced to the third round 6-1, 3-0 after Elena-Gabriela Ruse retired during a weather delay. Ruse had received treatment on her right ankle before a thunderstorm halted play, leading to her withdrawal. Eala, who recently captured her first WTA title in Washington, DC, will face ninth-seeded American Amanda Anisimova, who defeated Zeynep Sonmez 6-2, 6-3. “I was playing well and feeling really focused,” Eala said. “I tried to stay in the zone.”
Reflecting on the match’s conclusion, Eala added, “A retirement is not the way you want to end a match. Injuries are not fun.” Other notable results included Roland Garros finalist Maja Chwalinska, who advanced 6-2, 6-2 over Spain’s Cristina Bucsa, and Wimbledon winner Linda Noskova, who defeated Britain’s Katie Boulter 6-3, 6-3.
There was heartbreak for local favorite Payton Stearns, who grew up just blocks from the tennis center. She lost 7-6 (9/7), 1-6, 7-5 to Denmark’s Clara Tauson. Tauson played through back pain but managed a resilient comeback, rallying from 4-1 down in the final set to secure the victory.
As the tournament progresses, Djokovic must now attempt to regroup before the US Open begins on August 30. His struggles in Cincinnati highlighted the physical demands of the tour, with the combination of heat and humidity proving to be a decisive factor in his early exit from the competition.
“Everything involved makes it worse.”
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