‘Protect him’ – Former British No.1 urges special scheduling for Novak Djokovic after tough loss in Cincinnati
Former British No.1 Greg Rusedski has suggested that the ATP should help Novak Djokovic by giving him easier match times, like playing at night. This idea came after Djokovic, the 24-time Grand Slam winner, lost a tough match to world No.50 Thiago Agustin Tirante in Cincinnati.
The Argentine player came back after losing the first set to win 2-6, 6-4, 6-4. Many say this is the biggest win of his career so far. Djokovic struggled with the hot American weather and even needed a medical break after dropping down at the back of the court. He was also seen holding ice packs to his ears as the match went on, showing how hard it was for him to keep going in the heat.
After the match, Djokovic shared that he has had a health problem for years, which gets worse when it’s hot and humid. He also talked about his plans to retire.
Rusedski quickly stood up for Djokovic, saying on his podcast that Djokovic deserves special treatment with match times because of what he has achieved. “I’m just happy to have Novak around whenever possible. He’s 39 years old, and what he’s done is amazing,” said Rusedski. “But playing in the heat and humidity in Cincinnati is really tough.”
He added, “Novak should be protected. He shouldn’t play in the day, but in the evenings, after 7 p.m. He’s earned that.” Rusedski recalled how hard the heat was when he played there, saying, “I was dripping sweat and could barely hold my racket. The ice towel was necessary.”
Rusedski also said that playing against a strong player like Tirante in such heat was tough scheduling. “I think Djokovic will get better scheduling at the US Open, and I hope he keeps playing for a long time.”
Even at 39, Djokovic has done well in recent Grand Slams, but new stars like Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have made winning his 25th Slam harder. Rusedski hopes the ATP will consider Djokovic’s health and the hot conditions at the US Open when planning match times.
“We need to give Djokovic a bit of help and schedule his matches at the right time if we want him to stay in the tournament,” Rusedski said. He finished by saying, “You can’t always protect big players because of things like rain, but sometimes it’s important to do so.”