Novak Djokovic’s first appearance at the Cincinnati Open since 2023 ended quickly, with the veteran falling in his opening match and leaving the court after a difficult afternoon in hot, humid conditions.

Playing for the first time since his Wimbledon semi-final defeat to Jannik Sinner last month, Djokovic began well enough by taking the opening set. But the match then turned sharply as Thiago Agustin Tirante of Argentina grew into the contest and Djokovic struggled to cope with the conditions.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion appeared uncomfortable throughout the latter stages, at one point gesturing toward his box as he tried to understand why he was having so much trouble managing the heat. His energy dropped as the match went on, and he was sick on court before eventually losing 2-6, 6-4, 6-4.

After the match, Djokovic was asked whether this might have been his last outing in Cincinnati. He did not close the door completely, but his answer carried uncertainty.

“I certainly hope so, but it looks more likely not, unfortunately. But let’s see what the future brings.”

He also pointed to the physical issues that have been affecting him in recent years, saying they become especially difficult when the weather is humid and hot.

“It’s just the condition that I have health-wise,” he stated. “It’s been bothering me for the last couple of years. And a lot of issues, especially when it’s humid and hot.”

“It is all these things. Nerves and everything involved makes it worse. So that’s what happened.”

For Tirante, the result was the most significant win of his career. He handled the pressure of facing one of the sport’s most accomplished players and stayed composed when the key moments arrived.

“This is the best win of my career,” declared Tirante. “I really did a good job on the court. I managed very well the nerves of playing against a legend like Novak. Now I feel relieved.

“It is all so much pressure when you cannot break [serve]. I had so many points to break and I couldn’t, so that was the key. Keep believing in myself with my team and think about it after the match.”

Alex Eala’s profile has climbed sharply during the 2026 season, to the point that she has become one of the WTA Tour’s most in-demand attractions.

Her appeal has been visible in several corners of the calendar. She first captured attention at the Australian Open at the start of the year, then carried that momentum into the Middle East through the Abu Dhabi Open and the Qatar Open.

The next surge came during the North American hardcourt swing. The 21-year-old impressed crowds by winning the Washington Open title, before Toronto delivered another clear sign of her growing pull. The Canadian Open was heavily impacted by her presence, with evening sessions featuring Eala selling out well in advance.

A tournament director described the response as “just unprecedented.” That reaction reflected more than full stands. It also captured the way interest built steadily over time, beginning in February in Doha and continuing through the year until it reached its peak during the tournament week in Toronto.

“We’ve never seen anything like that in Toronto before. It was unexpected. We saw the momentum build from February in Doha, and over the past year. And it really culminated in the week of, which every match she played it sold out,” he continued.

“She was just so engaging with her fans and the community. It was really beautiful to see her so loyal to her fans. I think one of the uniquenesses about this event in particular this year was, in the past we saw tens of flags from various nations throughout.

“This year we saw hundreds and thousands of flags. Last night you saw the engagement of the fans with each other, which was great to see. In addition to that, you saw the fans staying until the end of the session for the whole tournament.”

The event’s organisers are now set to reassess their approach for next year after seeing how strongly Eala resonated with the crowd. Hale said the experience offered a clear lesson in connecting with fans, especially new ones, and in serving Toronto’s multicultural community more broadly.

Eala now moves on to the Cincinnati Open, where she will attempt to extend her strong run. She is scheduled to face Elena-Gabriela Ruse in the opening round of the Masters event.

Alex Eala is heading toward another ranking breakthrough after opening her Cincinnati Open campaign with a win that sent her into the third round.

The Filipina was in control against world No 74 Elena-Gabriela Ruse in the second round, leading 6-1, 3-0 when the Romanian retired because of injury. After dropping her serve in the first game, Eala took the next nine games in sequence and broke Ruse five times in a row. She finished with 43 of the 62 points played in the match.

This is Eala’s first appearance at the WTA 1000 tournament in Cincinnati, where she entered as the 17th seed and received a first-round bye. She began the event at a career-high ranking of world No 20, following a run to the fourth round at the Canadian Open and her title at the Washington Open.

The 21-year-old’s current stretch has now reached 11 wins from her last 13 matches, a sequence that began when she advanced to the fourth round at Wimbledon.

Her second-round victory in Cincinnati earned 65 ranking points, lifting her total to 2,221. That moves her up three places to a projected career-best world No 17 in the Live WTA Rankings.

Next, Eala faces world No 10 Amanda Anisimova, the ninth seed in Cincinnati, in the third round at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio. It will be their first meeting. Anisimova, 24, is a two-time Grand Slam finalist.