Novak Djokovic suffered one of the more striking defeats of his career on Sunday, losing 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 to Argentina’s Thiago Tirante at the Cincinnati Open. A match that raised serious concerns about the Serbian’s health and physical condition.
Djokovic, 39 and seeded fifth in the world, won the first set comfortably before the heat began to visibly overwhelm him. After an 18-minute third game in the second set, he dropped to his hands and knees on the court and appeared to vomit twice. A physio and a doctor were called onto the court to provide assistance. Both players then retired to the dressing room before resuming in the third set.
Djokovic was broken in the ninth game of the third set and never recovered. Tirante, ranked 50th in the world, closed out the match without further drama.
Djokovic’s Response
After the match Djokovic was candid about what had been happening.
“It is a condition that I have, health wise, that has been bothering me for the past couple of years,” he said.
“It causes a lot of issues, especially when it is humid and it is hot.”
He offered no further details about the nature of the condition but acknowledged it was not the first time it had affected him and likely would not be the last.
“It was not an enjoyable match for me, for sure,” he said.
“It is what it is.”
The result ends a run of consistency that stretched back to 2005. Djokovic had never failed to reach at least the last 32 at Cincinnati since his debut in the tournament. It was also his first match since losing to Jannik Sinner in the Wimbledon semi-finals in July.
For Tirante, the moment carried an entirely different weight.
“This is the best win of my career,” he said.
“I managed the nerves of playing a legend like Novak. It was all so much pressure.”
Djokovic has won Cincinnati three times. Sunday was not a day the tournament or its history will define him.
