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MASON, OHIO – AUGUST 15: Novak Djokovic of Serbia looks on during a match against Thiago Agust\u00edn Tirante of Argentina on day five of the Cincinnati Open at Lindner Family Tennis Center on August 15, 2026 in Mason, Ohio. (Photo by Emilee Chinn\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n
Novak Djokovic<\/a> revealed that an undisclosed health issue contributed to his physical struggles during a stunning second-round loss at the Cincinnati Open<\/a>, raising questions about his condition ahead of the U.S. Open.<\/p>\n Thiago Agust\u00edn Tirante, ranked No. 50 in the world, defeated Djokovic 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 Saturday in the Serbian star\u2019s first match since Wimbledon.<\/p>\n Djokovic appeared in complete control after racing through the opening set. The match changed dramatically early in the second, when the 39-year-old dropped to his hands and knees following a grueling game.<\/p>\n Djokovic appeared to vomit into a towel before receiving treatment from medical personnel. His blood pressure was checked, and he used an ice pack while sitting shirtless during a medical timeout.<\/p>\n He continued playing but never regained the command he displayed in the first set.<\/p>\n Novak Djokovic Discloses Recurring Health Problem Getty\u00a0Novak Djokovic of Serbia reacts during a match against Thiago Agust\u00edn Tirante of Argentina on day five of the Cincinnati Open at Lindner Family Tennis Center on August 15, 2026 in Mason, Ohio.<\/p>\n The oppressive heat<\/a> and humidity appeared to overwhelm Djokovic, but he said afterward that the conditions were not the root cause of his difficulties.<\/p>\n Djokovic disclosed that he has managed the unspecified health problem for years and that hot, humid weather can aggravate it.<\/p>\n \u201cIt causes me a lot of problems,\u201d Djokovic said, according to the ATP Tour<\/a>.<\/p>\n He did not identify the condition or offer further medical details. Djokovic explained that he anticipated Cincinnati\u2019s humidity, but said the combination of physical stress, nerves and match tension made the problem worse.<\/p>\n The episode carried added significance because Cincinnati was Djokovic\u2019s only scheduled singles tournament between Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. He withdrew from the National Bank Open in Montreal after consulting with his team.<\/p>\n Djokovic\u2019s limited preparation showed once Tirante extended the exchanges and forced him to work through the Ohio heat. The former world No. 1 committed costly errors late in the deciding set, while Tirante maintained his composure to complete the biggest victory of his career.<\/p>\n The upset ended Djokovic\u2019s first Cincinnati appearance since 2023, when he defeated Carlos Alcaraz in a nearly four-hour final widely regarded as one of the finest best-of-three-set matches ever played.<\/p>\n Novak Djokovic Casts Doubt on Cincinnati Return<\/p>\n Djokovic also acknowledged that Saturday\u2019s loss might have been his final appearance in Cincinnati.<\/p>\n \u201cIt seems more likely that I won\u2019t be back next year,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Djokovic stopped short of making the decision final, leaving open the possibility that he could return. Still, the admission offered another reminder that the 24-time Grand Slam champion is navigating the closing stages of his career on an increasingly selective schedule.<\/p>\n His immediate focus now shifts to New York.<\/p>\n Djokovic is entered in the U.S. Open mixed doubles event with world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka<\/a>, scheduled for Aug. 24-26. The singles main draw begins Aug. 30.<\/p>\n A four-time U.S. Open champion, Djokovic will pursue a record-extending 25th major singles title. He remains capable of contending on the sport\u2019s biggest stages, having reached the Australian Open final and Wimbledon semifinals this season.<\/p>\n The larger concern is whether his body will cooperate through seven best-of-five-set matches.<\/p>\n Djokovic has repeatedly found ways to recover from physical setbacks throughout his career. This time, however, he heads toward the season\u2019s final major with an unresolved health issue, limited match preparation and more uncertainty than his Cincinnati return was supposed to produce.<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tAlder Almo<\/a> is a veteran NBA reporter for Heavy.com, covering the New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors. He brings over 20 years of experience across local and international media, including broadcast, print and digital. He previously covered the Knicks for Empire Sports Media and the NBA for Off the Glass. Originally from the Philippines, he is now based in Jersey City, New Jersey. More about Alder Almo<\/a>\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Getty MASON, OHIO – AUGUST 15: Novak Djokovic of Serbia looks on during a match against Thiago Agust\u00edn…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":857433,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[565],"tags":[64,63,85,747],"class_list":["post-857432","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tennis","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-sports","tag-tennis"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/857432","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=857432"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/857432\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/857433"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=857432"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=857432"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=857432"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Cincinnati](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/cincinnati-open-2026-day-5-mason-ohio-august-15-novak.jpg\")
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