Tirante stuns Djokovic in Cincinnati heat for biggest win

Novak Djokovic suffered a shocking second-round defeat at the Cincinnati Open on Saturday, falling to Argentina's Thiago Agustin Tirante in three sets amid struggles with the stifling heat and humidity. The 26-year-old Tirante, ranked 50th in the world, secured the biggest win of his career by defeating the 24-time Grand Slam champion 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 in a match that raised concerns about Djokovic's fitness ahead of the U.S. Open.

Djokovic, 39, entered the match as the No. 3 seed and a heavy favorite, making his first appearance since a Wimbledon semifinal loss to Jannik Sinner in July. He appeared dominant early, sweeping through the opening set with aggressive and consistent tennis. However, the second set became a grueling ordeal as the humid conditions, reported at 72%, took a visible toll. In an 18-minute third game of the set, which featured nine deuces, Djokovic collapsed to his knees on court. He received an on-court medical timeout for assistance to cool down and was observed vomiting twice during the changeover.

Despite emerging from the locker room for the decider in a change of clothes, Djokovic's resistance faded. With the third set level at 4-4, he made a series of...