Novak Djokovic suffered a surprising defeat to Thiago Agustin Tirante earlier this month.
The 24-time major champion, playing his first Cincinnati event since winning the 2023 title, was beaten 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 by the world number 50.
Tirante became only the fourth Argentinian player to beat Djokovic in a professional singles match, following Juan Martin del Potro, Guillermo Coria, and David Nalbandian.
What would you now rate Novak Djokovic’s chances of winning the US Open?
The defeat has raised concerns regarding Djokovic’s status as a true US Open contender.
Andy Roddick, the 2003 US Open champion, has offered his take on the matter.
Andy Roddick suggests he is not worried about Novak Djokovic after his latest defeat in Cincinnati
“Does this matter for anyone less than Novak in the entire universe what he does at a Masters 1000? No,” Roddick stated on the Served Podcast.
“Most likely I am going to look at his draw at the US Open and say he is probably going to the semis.”
Djokovic, a four-time champion in New York, is set to compete in his 20th US Open campaign later this month.
The Serbian reached the semi-finals of last year’s event, before losing to eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz.
“Does it matter if he beats Tirante and one more person and loses third round? Not really,” Roddick continued. “I am happy that he’s in Cincinnati because – worst-case scenario – now he has two weeks where I know that he is going to be in heat and playing practice sets that are 10 and 20 in the world.
“Does he need match conditions as much as everyone else in the world? No. Does he need to know how to navigate a five setter? No.
“I don’t care who you are because going from playing practice sets in Greece against some person who is 600 in the world and then showing up against a guy who is 25 in the world who can rip your head off, you have to be playing against the best in the world with some sort consistency.
“So he will be fine. Looking at the weather for New York, it’s going to be 75 degrees, that’s going to be different to Cincinnati.
“But I think he can probably get away with finding those reps and practice more than anyone else in the world.”
Djokovic will seek to win a 25th Grand Slam singles title later this year.
If the Serbian star accomplishes the feat, he will become the most successful player in the history of Grand Slam singles events, surpassing Margaret Court’s total of 24 major titles.
Most Grand Slam singles titles in tennis history
- Novak Djokovic and Margaret Court – 24
- Serena Williams – 23
- Steffi Graf and Rafael Nadal – 22
- Roger Federer – 20
- Helen Wills – 19
- Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova – 18
- Pete Sampras – 14
- Roy Emerson and Billie Jean King – 12
- Rod Laver and Bjorn Borg – 11
- Bill Tilden – 10
Andy Roddick is correct about Novak Djokovic
If anyone can effectively work their way into a Grand Slam without sufficient match practice in the weeks prior, it is Novak Djokovic.
Djokovic is too good and too experienced to let the Cincinnati failure derail his US Open campaign.
Despite being 39 years old, the Serbian superstar has performed incredibly well at major tournaments over the past few years, reaching at least the semi-finals at six of the last seven events.
Can Carlos Alcaraz win MORE Grand Slams than Novak Djokovic? 🤔
With Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz’s US Open status uncertain, the draw for this year’s US Open could be much more open than many would have anticipated at the start of the year.
If we have learned anything at all about Novak Djokovic over the past 20 years, it is that you can never rule him out and he should never be underestimated.
Tennis fans would be wise not to fall into these traps as we approach the 2026 US Open.
