{"id":2097368,"date":"2026-08-17T11:00:19","date_gmt":"2026-08-17T08:00:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2097368"},"modified":"2026-08-17T11:00:19","modified_gmt":"2026-08-17T08:00:19","slug":"greg-rusedski-says-novak-djokovic-has-to-be-protected-after-what-happened-at-cincinnati-open","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2097368","title":{"rendered":"Greg Rusedski says Novak Djokovic &#8216;has to be protected&#8217; after what happened at Cincinnati Open"},"content":{"rendered":"<article class=\"ps-article-content rounded-lg lg:mt-5 lg:border lg:border-card lg:bg-card lg:shadow-primary\">\n<header>\n<h1 class=\"py-4 text-xl font-normal text-title sm:text-2xl\">Greg Rusedski says Novak Djokovic \u2018has to be protected\u2019 after what happened at Cincinnati Open<\/h1>\n<div class=\"my-2 flex items-center justify-between\">\n<div class=\"flex items-center\">\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/author\/ewan-west\" class=\"text-sm font-normal !text-author\"><br \/>\n                            Ewan West                        <\/a><br \/>\n                        <time class=\"ml-3 text-sm font-normal text-info md:ml-4\" datetime=\"17 Aug 2026 12:00 PM\" data-ps-date=\"17 Aug 2026 12:00 PM\" data-ps-datetime=\"1786964419\"><br \/>\n                            17 Aug 2026 12:00 PM                        <\/time>\n                    <\/div>\n<div class=\"hidden justify-end space-x-4 text-xl sm:flex sm:!opacity-100\">\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/google.com\/preferences\/source?q=tennis365.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\"><br \/>\n                            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"mx-auto !my-0 hidden dark:block h-6\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/content\/themes\/tennis365-sportsui\/img\/png\/preferred_source_badge_dark.png\" alt=\"Add as a preferred source on Google\" 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hover:!text-share-icon-active sm:hidden\" data-title=\"Greg Rusedski says Novak Djokovic \u2018has to be protected\u2019 after what happened at Cincinnati Open\"><\/p>\n<p>                        <\/button>\n                    <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"-mx-3 sm:-mx-5 border-b border-page\"><\/div>\n<section>\n<div class=\"-mx-3 sm:-mx-5\">\n<figure class=\"aspect-h-9 aspect-w-16 relative\">\n                                        <img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1320\" height=\"742\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"w-full h-full object-cover object-center !my-0\" src=\"https:\/\/d2me2qg8dfiw8u.cloudfront.net\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Novak-Djokovic-looks-on-1320x742.jpg\" alt=\"Novak Djokovic in action\">                <\/figure><figcaption class=\"flex items-center space-x-3 border-b border-mobile-caption px-3 lg:border-caption\">\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"my-1.5 break-words !text-xs !text-content\">\n                                Novak Djokovic looks on during his match                            <\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<div class=\"ciam-article-t365\"><!-- Article Start --><\/p>\n<p>Former US Open finalist Greg Rusedski has asserted that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tag\/novak-djokovic\">Novak Djokovic<\/a> \u201chas to be protected\u201d by tournament organisers after his Cincinnati Open exit.<\/p>\n<p>Djokovic was upset 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 by world No 50 Thiago Agustin Tirante in his opening match at the Masters 1000 event in Mason, Ohio on Saturday.<\/p>\n<p>The 24-time Grand Slam champion dominated the first set, but he struggled physically thereafter in brutal afternoon head and humidity in Cincinnati.<\/p>\n<p>Following the match, Djokovic said he has been dealing with a health problem that causes \u201ca lot of issues\u201d when he plays in such challenging weather conditions.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s 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,\u201d the 39-year-old Serbian explained.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI did anticipate it, but there are all these things, like nerves and everything involved that make it worse, and that\u2019s what happened.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>More Tennis News<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-features\/brad-gilbert-urges-tennis-rule-change-novak-djokovics-loss\"><strong>Brad Gilbert urges tennis to make several rule changes following Novak Djokovic\u2019s match in Cincinnati<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-news\/novak-djokovic-retire-health-condition-usopen\"><strong>Novak Djokovic \u2018health condition\u2019 leaves him questioning whether he can find a solution<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Want more from Tennis365? Add us as <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=tennis365.com\" target=\"_blank\">a preferred source on Google to your favourites list<\/a> for tennis coverage you can trust.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>On the latest episode of his <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=b3H4ceLekEM\" target=\"_blank\">Off Court With Greg Rusedski<\/a> podcast, Rusedski argued Djokovic should not be scheduled to play during the day in difficult conditions.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m just happy to have Novak around whenever it\u2019s possible. He\u2019s 39 years of age, what he\u2019s achieved is phenomenal,\u201d said the former world No 4.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut it\u2019s so hard physically, especially in the heat and the humidity in Cincinnati. It can be brutal.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI remember playing matches there \u2014 I was just standing there and I was dripping, you can barely hold your racket. The heat is unbearable, the ice towel has to be on.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNovak has to be protected. He can\u2019t be playing during the day. He has to be playing in the evenings, from 7 o\u2019clock onwards. He\u2019s earned the right to do so.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd especially against a young gun like the Argentinian Tirante, who can hit the ball an absolute ton. So, that was a brutal scheduling for Novak.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think in the US Open, he\u2019ll be protected, and I hope he continues to play for a long time.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEven youngsters would struggle in that heat. I mean, look at Jack Draper in his match, he wasn\u2019t finding it easy, as well, and he\u2019s a lot younger than Novak.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The former British No 1 continued: \u201cAnd the other thing is he had the longest game I think in a long time \u2014 17 minutes plus. In that heat, 17 minutes\u2026 I mean, that is brutal.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHis opponent made it physical, took advantage of the conditions after losing the opening set, and that\u2019s what you have to do against Novak.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut we have to give him a little bit of love and put him at the right time of day if you want to keep him in the tournament!<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo, for me, scheduling plays a part. I know you can\u2019t always protect your big names because of rain and different things, but I think sometimes, you have to do those things.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>READ NEXT: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-news\/aryna-sabalenka-speaks-novak-djokovic-us-open-mixed-doubles-2026\">Aryna Sabalenka makes admission about Novak Djokovic US Open partnership<\/a><br \/>\n<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><!-- Article End --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Greg Rusedski says Novak Djokovic \u2018has to be protected\u2019 after what happened at Cincinnati Open Ewan West 17 Aug 2026 12:00 PM Novak Djokovic looks on during his match Former US Open finalist Greg Rusedski has asserted that Novak Djokovic \u201chas to be protected\u201d by tournament organisers after his Cincinnati Open exit. Djokovic was upset [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,249],"class_list":["post-2097368","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-tennis365-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2097368","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2097368"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2097368\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2097368"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2097368"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2097368"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}