Djokovic stunned by Tirante in Cincinnati heat — SkimNews
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- Novak Djokovic lost 2-6 6-4 6-4 to Argentina's Thiago Tirante in the Cincinnati Open second round, ending a streak of reaching at least the last 32 at the tournament every year since his 2005 debut.
- Djokovic, 39 and ranked world number five, dropped to his hands and knees and took a medical timeout during the second set, appearing to vomit twice while a physio and a doctor provided on-court assistance.
- Tirante, ranked 50th in the world, called the upset "the best win of my career" and said he managed "the nerves of playing a legend like Novak" under heavy pressure.
- Djokovic was making his first competitive appearance since losing to Jannik Sinner in the Wimbledon semi-finals in July.
- After both players returned to the dressing rooms following the second set, Tirante broke Djokovic's serve in the ninth game of the third set to close out the match.
Why it matters: Djokovic's loss shatters a 20-year Cincinnati streak dating to his 2005 debut and exposes a hard truth about aging champions: heat and humidity can dismantle even a 24-time Grand Slam winner mid-match. The 39-year-old couldn't finish the contest in working order, the kind of early exit that forces a reset of his hard-court plans.
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