Tirante eliminates Djokovic in Cincinnati second round, ending seven-year unbeaten run
Argentine Thiago Agustín Tirante, ranked 50th in the world, defeated 39-year-old Novak Djokovic in the Cincinnati Masters 1000 second round on Saturday, ending the Serb's seven-year unbeaten run at the tournament in two hours and 44 minutes.
Tirante's career-best win
Argentine Thiago Agustín Tirante, ranked 50th in the world and in his first week inside the Top-50, defeated 39-year-old Novak Djokovic in the second round of the Cincinnati Masters 1000 on Saturday. The match lasted two hours and 44 minutes, with France 24 and Europa Press reporting the score as 2-6, 6-4, 6-4, while LaVanguardia and El Periódico listed the second set as 6-3. The 25-year-old called it the most important victory of his career.
It's the best victory of my career, I think I did a good job on the court and managed the nerves very well playing against a legend like Novak.
How the match unfolded
Djokovic took the first set comfortably 6-2, breaking Tirante's serve in games 6 and 8. The Serb appeared in control until the second set, when at 2-1 he requested medical attention after a game lasting more than 18 minutes. He showed repeated signs of pain in his knees and back, apparently weakened by the heat and humidity in Cincinnati. Tirante waited close to ten minutes before play resumed.
Despite the disruption, Tirante maintained his composure and played high-level tennis. He secured a break to level the match in the second set, then broke again in the final game of the third set to close out the win. Djokovic saved 13 of the 15 break points he conceded, according to LaVanguardia, but could not hold off the Argentine.
- Djokovic wins 6-2, breaking Tirante in games 6 and 8
- Djokovic requests medical timeout after a game lasting over 18 minutes, showing pain in knees and back
- Tirante waits close to ten minutes before play resumes
- Tirante breaks back to level the match, winning the set 6-4 (or 6-3 per some sources)
- Tirante breaks in the final game to win 6-4, closing out the match in 2h44min
Djokovic's Cincinnati legacy and US Open concerns
The defeat ended Djokovic's seven-year unbeaten run at the Cincinnati Masters, where he was a three-time champion with titles in 2019 and 2023, both against Carlos Alcaraz. He had won ten consecutive matches at the tournament. This appearance marked his return to Cincinnati after three years away. With this match, Djokovic equalled Feliciano López's record of 139 appearances in Masters 1000 events. He remains the all-time leader in Masters 1000 match wins with 420.
The Serb, currently ranked fifth in the ATP and holder of 24 Grand Slam titles, arrives at the US Open, which begins in two weeks in New York, with questions about his physical condition. World number one Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz were both absent from Cincinnati due to injury.
Young players advance
Tirante will face Spain's Martín Landaluce, ranked 67th, in the third round. The 20-year-old from Madrid defeated Italian Matteo Arnaldi, a Roland Garros semifinalist, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 in two hours and 33 minutes. Landaluce had previously eliminated former world number four Jack Draper in his opening match. The win ended a five-tournament streak without a second victory and marked his 11th career Masters 1000 win.
Paraguayan Daniel Vallejo, ranked 70th in the ATP, also advanced, beating Monegasque Valentin Vacherot 6-3, 6-3. Spanish 12th seed Rafael Jódar was also scheduled to enter action. Rain interruptions of approximately 90 minutes affected the morning session, continuing a pattern that has disrupted the tournament since the qualifying rounds.
