BREAKING: Novak Djokovic collapses to knees and vomits in shock Cincinnati Open loss – The end is near
Novak Djokovic collapsed to his knees and vomited as he struggled physically before losing to Thiago Agustin Tirante in a shock result at the Cincinnati Open. World No.50 Tirante pulled off a 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 victory in a two-hour, 44-minute battle at the Masters 1000 tournament. Djokovic was playing his first match since losing in the Wimbledon semi-finals to Jannik Sinner and suffered a massive dip in energy during the second set of the second-round contest.
After one changeover, the Serbian veteran dropped to his knees in exhaustion and received a medical timeout, during which he was shielded by towels while he threw up. The intense heat and humidity took its toll on the 24-time Grand Slam champion in Ohio as he suffered a demoralising defeat after showing optimism about his fitness pre-match. He had declared that his body “reacted quite well after Wimbledon” and was the best it felt after any Grand Slam in the last two years.
Speaking after a massive win, Tirante, 25, said: “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 couldn’t, so that was the key. Keep believing in myself with my team and think about it after the match.
Thinking about my family and my friends that are in Argentina watching me, they are really happy to watch me on TV… They are in Argentina, but they are in my head as well.”
Three-time Cincinnati champion Djokovic was making his first appearance at the event since the 2023 final, when he defeated Carlos Alcaraz in an epic that lasted almost four hours.
The 39-year-old, ranked fifth in the world, actually saved 13 of 15 break points against Tirante but the Argentine underdog still secured a career-best triumph.
Pre-match, Tirante had been full of praise for Djokovic, labelling him the GOAT and saying: “When I was young, I watched Djokovic on TV.
“I was always more [of a] Rafa supporter. But Novak is Novak. He is a very important person for the world and one of the most [key figures] for tennis.
“We are probably going to play on centre court in Cincinnati, so it is important that I won my first-round match. Novak’s achievements are very important. He is the GOAT of tennis.
You say tennis and Novak is there… For me it is very special. I practised with everyone. I practised with Roger, I practised with Rafa but I never practised with Novak. So to play against a legend like him is going to be very fun. I will try to enjoy it.”
Djokovic now has less than a fortnight to prepare for the final Grand Slam of 2026, the US Open. Rivals Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz could both miss the major after pulling out of Cincy due to knee and wrist injuries respectively.
Tirante now faces Martin Landaluce in round three after the Spaniard overcame 31st seed Matteo Arnaldi earlier on Saturday.
