Djokovic Stunned by Tirante in Cincinnati Heat

Djokovic Stunned by Tirante in Cincinnati Heat

Novak Djokovic’s return to competitive tennis ended in disappointment as the 24-time Grand Slam champion suffered a shock second-round defeat at the Cincinnati Open.

The 39-year-old Serb was playing his first match since losing to Jannik Sinner in the Wimbledon semi-finals last month. But after making a strong start, he was beaten 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 by Argentina’s Thiago Agustín Tirante on Saturday.

Djokovic looked comfortable in the opening set, winning it 6-2. However, the hot and humid conditions soon began to affect him.

During a marathon third game of the second set, which lasted 18 minutes and included nine deuces, Djokovic dropped to his hands and knees and appeared to be sick. He was given a medical timeout while a doctor and physiotherapist attended to him on court.

Although Djokovic managed to hold serve, he clearly looked short of energy afterwards. Tirante took advantage, breaking his serve to win the second set and force a decider.

The Argentine, ranked 50th in the world, stayed composed in the final set. He broke Djokovic at 4-4 and then served out the match without dropping a point.

The defeat marks Djokovic’s earliest exit from Cincinnati since he first played the tournament in 2005. He is a three-time champion there and had won his previous 10 matches at the event.

For Tirante, it was the biggest victory of his career.

“I managed the nerves of playing a legend like Novak,” he said. “It was all so much pressure.”

Djokovic will now have his sights set on the US Open, which begins on 30 August.