{"id":2099181,"date":"2026-08-18T12:31:51","date_gmt":"2026-08-18T09:31:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2099181"},"modified":"2026-08-18T12:31:51","modified_gmt":"2026-08-18T09:31:51","slug":"novak-djokovic-told-what-is-more-worrying-than-his-cincinnati-loss-ahead-of-us-open","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2099181","title":{"rendered":"Novak Djokovic told what is &#8216;more worrying&#8217; than his Cincinnati loss ahead of US 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\">Novak Djokovic told what is \u2018more worrying\u2019 than his Cincinnati loss ahead of US 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=\"18 Aug 2026 1:31 PM\" data-ps-date=\"18 Aug 2026 1:31 PM\" data-ps-datetime=\"1787056311\"><br \/>\n                            18 Aug 2026 1:31 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\" width=\"76\" height=\"24\"><br \/>\n                       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<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\" width=\"76\" height=\"24\"><br \/>\n                            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"mx-auto !my-0 dark:hidden h-6\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/content\/themes\/tennis365-sportsui\/img\/png\/preferred_source_badge_light.png\" alt=\"Add as a preferred source on Google\" width=\"76\" height=\"24\"><br \/>\n                        <\/a><br \/>\n                        <button id=\"t365-article-share-btn-hidden\" class=\"mr-2 hidden h-6 w-6 appearance-none border-none !text-share-icon outline-none hover:!text-share-icon-active sm:hidden\" data-title=\"Novak Djokovic told what is \u2018more worrying\u2019 than his Cincinnati loss ahead of US 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-1-1320x742.jpg\" alt=\"Novak Djokovic looks on during his match\">                <\/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 in action                            <\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<div class=\"ciam-article-t365\"><!-- Article Start --><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tag\/novak-djokovic\">Novak Djokovic<\/a>\u2019s defeat at the Cincinnati Open raised \u201ca pretty bad sign\u201d for the tennis icon ahead of the 2026 US Open, according to a former WTA Tour player.<\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p>The 39-year-old Serbian was playing his first match since his straight-set defeat to Jannik Sinner in the Wimbledon semi-finals.<\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p>Camille Pin, a retired French player turned commentator, shared her thoughts on Djokovic\u2019s Cincinnati\u00a0struggles while speaking on Eurosport France.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat\u2019s rather odd is that it didn\u2019t happen in a third set after 2 hours and 40 minutes of play,\u201d said Pin, who played between 1999 and 2010.<\/p>\n<h2>More Tennis News<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-news\/novak-djokovic-protected-cincinnati-open-greg-rusedski\"><strong>Greg Rusedski says Novak Djokovic \u2018has to be protected\u2019 after what happened at Cincinnati Open<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-news\/jack-draper-us-open-mixed-doubles-entry-list-update\"><strong>Jack Draper\u2019s US Open participation looks in doubt as mixed doubles update emerges<\/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>\u201cFrom the very beginning of the match, Novak was struggling to breathe, and that\u2019s a pretty bad sign.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo that\u2019s what\u2019s worrying, more so than the loss to Tirante, who just reached the round of 16 in Montreal by beating [Taylor] Fritz.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy did he feel so much discomfort in the humidity, when he\u2019s won this tournament three times?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOf course, he\u2019s not the same age, but he\u2019s still incredibly fit. He\u2019ll have to check with his team before the US Open.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>After his defeat to Tirante, Djokovic divulged that he has been dealing with a health problem that causes \u201ca lot of issues\u201d when he plays in difficult 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 24-time Grand Slam champion 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<p>Djokovic\u2019s next appearance will be at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/us-open\">US Open<\/a> mixed doubles event, where he will partner Aryna Sabalenka.<\/p>\n<p>The former world No 1 will then aim to win a record-extending 25th men\u2019s Grand Slam singles title \u2014 and his first since the 2023 US Open.<\/p>\n<p><strong>READ NEXT: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-features\/brad-gilbert-urges-tennis-rule-change-novak-djokovics-loss\">Brad Gilbert urges tennis to make several rule changes following Novak Djokovic\u2019s match in Cincinnati<\/a><br \/>\n<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><!-- Article End --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Novak Djokovic told what is \u2018more worrying\u2019 than his Cincinnati loss ahead of US Open Ewan West 18 Aug 2026 1:31 PM Novak Djokovic in action Novak Djokovic\u2019s defeat at the Cincinnati Open raised \u201ca pretty bad sign\u201d for the tennis icon ahead of the 2026 US Open, according to a former WTA Tour player. [&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-2099181","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\/2099181","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=2099181"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2099181\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2099181"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2099181"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2099181"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}