The conditions on Sunday were unlike any other Novak Djokovic incurred during his triumphant run at the Cincinnati Open. Contrary to the late evening clashes that he was handed en route to his run to the final, the summit clash against Carlos Alcaraz, deemed as a rematch of the Wimbledon final from last month, was scheduled for an early evening clash. And hence, amid the brutal Cincinnati heat that soared to 35 degrees, Djokovic was left exhausted in the opening set itself as he called in for a doctor and physio.
Djokovic had dropped the opening set 5-7 despite taking an early lead after gaining a break of serve as the Serb was seen getting red and sweaty amid the brutal conditions with temperatures reaching as high as 35 degrees. Such was the scene that Djokovic was even seen screaming at his box after one of the games in the opening set, which lasted for almost an hour, asking for a creatine drink.
Djokovic had then taken a time off the court at the end of the first set, but the struggle continued in the second set as well when he hit two double faults to get broken at 1-2. The 36-year-old called for a physio and doctor immediately after the third game as he buried his face in an ice towel while an oximeter was attached to his finger to check the pulse. Meanwhile, the doctor handed him a few medicines before he resumed the second set.
“If Novak is not feeling well, Carlos has got so much experience being so young that he is that I don’t think there is really any way back here for Novak unless he starts to feel better,” Greg Rusedski said on commentary for Prime Video.
“We see the physio coming on court, we’ll see what he can do for Novak because Novak looks like he is struggling physically and also the doctor is on court as well so this isn’t a good sign for the Serb, he might give him something to take to manage the temperature. They’re taking his blood pressure right now, that’s how poorly Novak is feeling.”
Djokovic recovered in stunning fashion thereafter as he broke back immediately at 4-4, before stretching the second set to the tie-break, where Alcaraz held championship points but was denied the opportunity with the Serb winning it 7-6(7). The 36-year-old later gained an early break in the final set but conceded a break of serve before settling contest in the tie-break.
After the match, Djokovic revealed how difficult it was to play amid the brutal conditions which led to him suffering from heatstroke during the opening set
“So much to talk and not much energy left in the tank. I think I started off well amid really hot conditions. I think each hour the condition on the court was changing. So it was becoming easier on the court to play with the heat being absorbed by the hard court and evaporating which makes it hotter on the court. I was really struggling and I felt I had some sort of a heatstroke or something,” he said during an interview with Tennis Channel.
