Novak Djokovic’s return to competitive tennis following his Wimbledon semifinal loss to Jannik Sinner ended in a surprise defeat at the Cincinnati Masters. The 24-time Grand Slam champion was eliminated in the second round on Saturday, falling 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 to Argentina’s Thiago Tirante. The match, which spanned over two and a half hours, proved physically punishing for the Serbian star as he battled both his opponent and oppressive afternoon temperatures.
Djokovic, who previously secured three titles in Cincinnati including a victory in 2023, started strongly by taking the first set. However, the intensity of the heat and humidity soon became a significant factor. During a grueling 18-minute third game of the second set, Djokovic saved four break points across nine deuces, at one point collapsing to his hands and knees in visible distress. He required a medical timeout, receiving assistance from a physio and a doctor who utilized ice towels to help him recover.
Following the match, Djokovic admitted that the environmental conditions were overwhelming, noting that the combination of heat and humidity made the physical exertion significantly worse. Reflecting on his future at the tournament, the 37-year-old suggested this might have been his final appearance in Cincinnati, stating, “It looks like I won’t be back, unfortunately, to play here.” He now shifts his focus to regrouping ahead of the US Open, which begins on August 30.
For Thiago Tirante, the victory marked the most significant achievement of his professional career. The Argentine acknowledged the immense pressure of facing a legend, noting that he had to manage his nerves carefully throughout the contest. The match concluded in the tenth game of the final set when Djokovic failed to land a drop shot on match point, handing Tirante the win.
In other men’s action, top-seeded Alexander Zverev narrowly avoided an early exit. The French Open champion, who lost to Sinner in the Wimbledon final, overcame Cameron Norrie 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 in a marathon encounter that concluded at 2:15 am. Despite a slow start, Zverev rallied to secure his eighth consecutive victory against the Briton. “I needed to get a match rhythm,” Zverev explained, adding that while the first set was disappointing, he was pleased with the high level of play he maintained in the final two sets.
The women’s draw saw Filipino rising star Alexandra Eala advance to the third round after Elena-Gabriela Ruse retired from their match. The Romanian player, who had received treatment for an ankle injury, withdrew during a weather delay caused by a thunderstorm. Eala, who recently captured her first WTA title in Washington, DC, expressed mixed feelings about the result, noting that while she felt focused, she regretted that the match ended due to an injury.
Eala is set to face ninth-seeded American Amanda Anisimova in the next round, who secured her spot by defeating Zeynep Sonmez 6-2, 6-3. Anisimova’s progression follows a series of notable results in the women’s bracket, including Roland Garros finalist Maja Chwalinska’s 6-2, 6-2 victory over Cristina Bucsa and Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova’s 6-3, 6-3 win against Katie Boulter.
The day also featured a difficult loss for local favorite Payton Stearns, who grew up near the tennis center. Stearns was defeated 7-6 (9/7), 1-6, 7-5 by Denmark’s Clara Tauson. Despite battling through back pain, Tauson staged a resilient comeback, rallying from a 4-1 deficit in the final set to secure the win. The report also notes that the French Open champion who fell to Sinner in the Wimbledon final, was more fortunate, squeezing out an opening 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 victory over Cameron Norrie in a match that took two hours and 45 minutes and ended at 2:15am, top-seeded Alexander Zverev. The report also notes that winner of the Cincinnati title five years ago, who is hoping a return to Ohio will help him shake off an abrupt exit in Canada last week, britain’s Norrie has now lost all eight of his matches against the German. The report also notes that norrie saved six break points in a 12-minute game to begin the deciding set but was broken twice as Zverev advanced. The report also notes that “The confidence was not there after Canada.
