Novak Djokovic has recently discussed his health struggles, which he had kept to himself until he collapsed at the Cincinnati Open on Saturday.
The 24-time Grand Slam winner dropped to his knees, clearly in pain due to the extreme heat and humidity, and needed medical attention.
Despite his discomfort, he refused to quit, though it was evident that he was not at his best, especially compared to his performance when he won the first set in the second round.
Ultimately, Argentina’s Thiago Tirante outlasted him, taking the match 2-6, 6-4, 6-4.
This match, which ran for over two and a half hours, marked Djokovic’s first return to play since his semifinals loss to Jannik Sinner at Wimbledon more than a month prior.
The 39-year-old confidently secured the first set without much trouble.
He had a grueling 18-minute third game in the second set, navigating four break points and going to nine deuces, but often found himself crouched in pain between points or even on all fours after particularly tough rallies.
After the match concluded, Djokovic took a medical timeout, with trainers and doctors attending to him and providing ice towels.
When Tirante claimed the second set, both athletes took a breather in the locker room. Djokovic managed to regain some strength and control the pace in the final set.
However, things took a downturn in the ninth game. After saving three break points, Djokovic faltered on a drop shot, allowing his opponent to capitalize on a fourth break chance.
As the match progressed, Djokovic missed another critical drop shot during match point, ultimately leading to Tirante achieving the most significant victory of his career.
As Djokovic prepares for the upcoming US Open on August 30, he expressed concerns that this might have been his last appearance in Cincinnati.
“Unfortunately, I don’t think I’ll be coming back to play here,” he said, acknowledging how challenging the weather was for him.
“It was a mix of heat and humidity,” he reflected.
There was also a distressing moment where it seemed Djokovic vomited into a towel while seated.
In a somewhat candid moment with international journalists post-match, he admitted to managing an undisclosed health issue for quite some time.
“First off, I want to congratulate my opponent today,” he stated.
“Honestly, it wasn’t an enjoyable match for me. I’ve had those experiences before—it’s not new. It is what it is,” he added.
“It’s not just about my condition; it’s the health troubles I’ve been dealing with for years. I find it particularly troublesome in conditions like this—high heat and humidity.”
“I understood that these circumstances could impact me, but there were other factors—nerves and everything else surrounding matches like this. All of that contributed to this situation,” he remarked.
In other matchups, French Open finalist Flavio Cobolli, seeded seventh, overcame Miomir Kecmanovic 6-1, 4-6, 6-3.
Martin Landaluce beat Matteo Arnaldi 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, earning a spot in the third round against Tirante.
On the WTA side, rising star Alexandra Eala advanced to the third round with a 6-1, 3-0 victory as Elena Gabriela Rusecuit had to retire due to an injury following weather delays.
She was seen receiving treatment for an ankle injury right before the match was halted due to thunderstorms.
During the 90-minute pause, Ruse made a stunning play to progress past ninth-seeded Ila.
Ila, who secured her first WTA title earlier this month in Washington, defeated No. 9 seed Zeynep Sonmez 6-2, 6-3, and will next face Amanda Anisimova.
