Novak Djokovic Falls to Tirante in Cincinnati Open Return

Novak Djokovic was eliminated from the Cincinnati Open in his first match since Wimbledon, losing 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 to Argentina’s Thiago Agustin Tirante on Saturday in Mason, Ohio.

The match lasted 2 hours and 44 minutes in hot and humid conditions, with Tirante producing what he called the best victory of his career. The result ended Djokovic’s 10-match winning streak in Cincinnati and sent the 24-time major champion out of an event he has won three times.

Djokovic, ranked No. 5, had entered the tournament after reaching the Wimbledon semifinals. Tirante, 25, is ranked No. 50 in the world and now owns a major win over one of the sport’s most accomplished players.

Tirante rallies after Djokovic takes opening set

Djokovic took control early and won the first set 6-2, but Tirante recovered to claim the next two sets by identical 6-4 scores. The Argentine broke Djokovic’s serve in the ninth game of the deciding set before serving out the match.

Djokovic was able to save 13 of the 15 break points he faced, but Tirante converted one of his two opportunities at a decisive stage of the final set. That break gave Tirante the chance to close out a match that became increasingly difficult for Djokovic in the conditions.

“I think this is the best win of my career,” Tirante said. “I think I really did a good job inside the court. I managed very well the nerves of playing against a legend like Novak.”

For Djokovic, the loss came in a tournament where he has compiled a 45-13 record and won titles in 2018, 2020 and 2023. The defeat also snapped a run of 10 consecutive Cincinnati victories.

The Serbian said an unspecified health condition has made it difficult for him to compete in hot and humid weather. He said the issue has bothered him for the past couple of years and that nerves can make the effects worse.

“It’s just a condition that I have, health-wise, that has been bothering me for the past couple of years,” Djokovic said. “A lot of issues, especially when it is humid and it is hot. I did anticipate it would be humid, but there are all these things, like nerves and everything involved that make it worse, and that’s what happened.”

U.S. Open next as Djokovic questions Cincinnati return

Djokovic’s next scheduled major event is the U.S. Open, which begins Aug. 30 in New York. His Cincinnati exit means his return to competition after Wimbledon lasted one match.

The 39-year-old also expressed uncertainty about whether he will compete at the Cincinnati Open again. While he said he hopes to return, he indicated that another appearance looks less likely.

“I certainly hope so, but it looks more likely not, unfortunately,” Djokovic said. “But let’s see what the future brings.”

Elsewhere in the women’s draw, Alexandra Eala advanced when Elena-Gabriela Ruse stopped playing in the second set because of an ankle injury after losing the first. Eala, ranked No. 20, had won her first WTA singles title in Washington earlier in the month and has won eight of her past nine matches.

Jessica Pegula also moved on with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Simona Waltert. The third-ranked American improved to 25-6 on hard courts in 2026. Pegula won the Cincinnati title in 2024.