Novak Djokovic suffered a shock secondโround exit at the Cincinnati Open 2026, losing 2โ6, 6โ4, 6โ4 to Thiago Tirante. The 24โtime Grand Slam champion, playing his first match since his Wimbledon semiโfinal defeat to Jannik Sinner, struggled in the heat and humidity after a strong opening set.
Novak Djokovic suffered a stunning defeat in the second round of the Cincinnati Open 2026 as the 24-time Grand Slam champion gears up for the upcoming US Open. Djokovic was stunned by Thiago Tirante, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4, and struggled to put up a strong performance due to the heat and humidity.
The Serbian tennis player was in action for the first time since his Wimbledon semi-final defeat to Jannik Sinner and put up a strong outing in the first set before the heat and humidity affected his play in the second round.
Djokovic drops to his knees during action
During the match, Djokovic required treatment mid-match and was checked on by the doctor and physiotherapist to help cool him down. The Serbian athlete also dropped to his knees in the third game out of exhaustion.
Despite being exhausted, Djokovic attempted to fight back against Tirante, but his unforced errors helped the Argentine gain an upper hand over the Serbian in the hard-court ATP Masters 1000 event in the second set.
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Djokovic tried to put up a fight, saving 13 out of 15 break points he encountered. But Tirante utilised his opponent’s lapses to clinch an advantage in the second round and eventually secured a victory.
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Following the match, Tirante said that he managed his nerves well while facing a legend like Djokovic, which was crucial under the pressure of not being able to break serve.
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“I think this is the best win of my career. I think I really did a good job inside the court. I managed very well the nerves of playing against a legend like Novak. Now I feel relieved, because it is all so much pressure when you cannot break serve.
“I had so many points to break, and I could not, so that was the key to keep believing in myself with my team and think about it after the match,” Tirante said, as quoted by ATP’s official website.
Tirante advances to the next round, where he will face off against Martin Landaluce at the Cincinnati Open.