Novak Djokovic’s defeat at the Cincinnati Open raised “a pretty bad sign” for the tennis icon ahead of the 2026 US Open, according to a former WTA Tour player.
World No 5 Djokovic fell to a 6-2, 4-6, 4-6 loss to 50th-ranked Tirante in the second round at the Masters 1000 event in Cincinnati on Saturday.
The 39-year-old Serbian was playing his first match since his straight-set defeat to Jannik Sinner in the Wimbledon semi-finals.
While Djokovic dominated the opening set against the 25-year-old Argentine, he suffered physically for large spells of a match played in brutal afternoon heat and humidity in Cincinnati.
Camille Pin, a retired French player turned commentator, shared her thoughts on Djokovic’s Cincinnati struggles while speaking on Eurosport France.
“What’s rather odd is that it didn’t happen in a third set after 2 hours and 40 minutes of play,” said Pin, who played between 1999 and 2010.
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“From the very beginning of the match, Novak was struggling to breathe, and that’s a pretty bad sign.
“So that’s what’s worrying, more so than the loss to Tirante, who just reached the round of 16 in Montreal by beating [Taylor] Fritz.
“Why did he feel so much discomfort in the humidity, when he’s won this tournament three times?
“Of course, he’s not the same age, but he’s still incredibly fit. He’ll have to check with his team before the US Open.”
After his defeat to Tirante, Djokovic divulged that he has been dealing with a health problem that causes “a lot of issues” when he plays in difficult weather conditions.
“It’s just a condition that I have, health-wise, that has been bothering me for the past couple of years. A lot of issues, especially when it is humid and it is hot,” the 24-time Grand Slam champion explained.
“I did anticipate it, but there are all these things, like nerves and everything involved that make it worse, and that’s what happened.”
