Novak Djokovic was beaten 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 by Argentina's Thiago Agustín Tirante in the second round of the Cincinnati Open, with the world number 50 claiming the biggest victory of his career after the top seed visibly wilted in humid conditions. The match marked Djokovic's first appearance since his Wimbledon semi-final defeat to Jannik Sinner on 10 July 2026, according to Sky Sports.
Djokovic cruised through the first set with little difficulty, giving no hint of the collapse to come. But as the second set progressed, the 39-year-old began spending time between points crouched over, visibly fighting for breath in Ohio's punishing humidity, before eventually succumbing across three sets.
What went wrong for Djokovic physically?
Djokovic's decline accelerated sharply once he reached a 6-2, 2-1 lead, at which point he summoned the tournament physio and doctor to the court. He was seen vomiting into a towel before having his blood pressure checked, and he continued to play at reduced pace for the remainder of the contest.
It was not an enjoyable match for me, for sure, the way I felt. Not the first, I guess, not the last time, but it is what it is.
He later attributed the episode to a recurring medical condition rather than a one-off reaction to the weather.
It's just the condition that I have health-wise. It's been bothering me for the last couple of years. And a lot of issues, especially when it's humid and hot. Yeah.
Djokovic added that he had expected the conditions to be difficult, but that the pressure of competition compounded the physical strain.
Yeah, I did, but, it is all these things … nerves and everything involved makes it worse. So that's what happened.
How significant was Tirante's win?
Tirante, 25, leaned on one of the tour's biggest serves and a powerful forehand to keep Djokovic pinned behind the baseline throughout the closing stages, eventually closing out victory after two hours and 44 minutes on the hard court, according to ATP Tour coverage, which described it as the standout result of his career to date. The result extended his remarkable record against elite opposition, with the Argentinian now boasting a 4-1 mark against top-10 players. It was also the first-ever ATP Head2Head meeting between the two players, having entered the match with a 0-0 record according to Flashscore. Ahead of the contest, Tennis.com had projected Djokovic as a 76% favourite to win. Speaking before facing Djokovic, Tirante described the occasion as especially meaningful, calling his opponent "the GOAT" in comments carried by ATP Tour. The Argentinian had already survived a gruelling opener of his own, needing almost three hours to beat Britain's Jan Choinski 7-6(9), 6-7(7), 7-6(4) to reach the second round, as reported by Infobae.
How does this fit into Djokovic's recent season?
Djokovic has increasingly struggled outside the majors as he prioritises the grand slams and the Olympics in the later stages of his career. He began 2026 by reaching the final at Roland Garros, but Cincinnati represented only his third non-grand-slam event of the season, and he has now failed to reach the quarter-finals in any of them, leaving him with a 2-3 record across Indian Wells, Rome and Cincinnati. His match against Tirante was scheduled as the second contest of the day on P&G Stadium Court, beginning at 11am local time, according to the ATP Tour schedule preview.
In the buildup to the tournament, Djokovic had been occupied with promotional commitments for an upcoming documentary on Amazon Prime, spending time in the United States around the World Cup period before shifting focus to the closing weeks of the North American hard-court season. He said he had entered Cincinnati primarily to gain match play ahead of the US Open.
What happens next for both players?
Tirante advances to the round of 32 in Cincinnati following the win, continuing his breakthrough run at the tournament, according to Tennis Majors. Notably, the two had originally been slated to meet later in the draw, with a preview page from Tennis Tonic showing the match had at one stage been scheduled for Monday, 17 August 2026, before the draw and timing shifted.
For Djokovic, attention now turns to the US Open, where he will again need to find form quickly after an early exit. Despite his recent struggles in smaller events, he has reached at least the semi-final stage in six of his last seven grand slam appearances. Asked whether he expects to return to Cincinnati in future years, he sounded doubtful.
I certainly hope so, but it looks more likely not, unfortunately. But let's see what the future brings.
Key Facts
- Novak Djokovic lost 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 to Thiago Agustín Tirante in the Cincinnati Open second round.
- Djokovic required medical attention, including a blood pressure check, after vomiting during the match.
- Tirante's win lasted two hours and 44 minutes and improved his record against top-10 players to 4-1.
- It was the first ATP Head2Head meeting between the two players.
- Djokovic now holds a 2-3 record across non-grand-slam events in 2026 and turns his focus to the US Open.
