Severe criticism of Cincinnati after Djokovic's defeat: "He can't play during the day"
Greg Rusedski believes that the organization should have taken better care of the Serbian to avoid the physical problems he suffered due to the extreme heat.
Last Saturday, Novak Djokovic suffered a harsh defeat against Thiago Agustín Tirante in his debut at the ATP Cincinnati 2026, where he faced physical issues and later revealed it was due to a setback that had been ongoing for a long time and that worsens with heat and adverse conditions like those of this tournament. This has sparked much debate, and Greg Rusedski has been very critical of the organization for not taking care of the Serbian tennis player.
In his podcast 'Off Court', Rusedski criticized the Cincinnati tournament for not scheduling Djokovic to play in the night session like they do with other top players, as this led to Djokovic's physical condition breaking down early on and saying goodbye to the tournament, which is also negative for the interests of the organization. It should be noted that the Serbian tennis player hadn't played a match since his defeat in the Wimbledon semifinals against Jannik Sinner, yet he still struggled with the heat, as other players have experienced over the last few days, even requiring treatment from the physio.
"I'm happy to have Novak close whenever possible. He is 39 years old and what he has achieved is phenomenal. But it's very tough physically, especially with the heat and humidity in Cincinnati. It can be brutal. I remember playing matches there; I was just standing, soaking wet, barely able to hold the racket. The heat was unbearable; I had to use a cold towel. We need to protect Novak. He can't play during the day. He should play in the afternoons, starting from 7 PM. He has earned that right," the Brit concluded.
Rusedski believes the US Open will take better care of Djokovic
This way, Novak will barely arrive with one warm-up match on hard court ahead of the US Open, the last Grand Slam of 2026, which will start in less than two weeks. Still, Rusedski believes that in New York he will be properly taken care of. "It was a brutal schedule for Novak. I believe that at the US Open he will be protected, and I hope he continues to play for a long time."
It's no secret that the players with more weight in the tour enjoy certain privileges when it comes to scheduling in tournaments, although it is unclear whether Djokovic stated that he preferred to play during the day or at night. What Greg is sure of is that "we need to give him a little care and schedule him at the right time of day if we want him to stay in the tournament. For me, planning is important. I know that not always can we protect the big stars due to rain and other factors, but I think sometimes those measures need to be taken.
It is clear that Djokovic's physical condition is not what it used to be, which adds to the problem he has mentioned that he has been dragging for months and that will keep him in check for the rest of his career. Therefore, the US Open has a dilemma when it comes to choosing the match schedule for Nole, since if Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz participate, they will also arrive in delicate conditions, while Alexander Zverev also prefers to play more at night.
This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Dura crítica a Cincinnati tras la derrota de Djokovic: "No puede jugar durante el día"