Argentina’s Thiago Agustín Tirante saw his Cincinnati Open run end in the quarterfinals, but the 25-year-old will leave Ohio with a career-changing result and growing attention ahead of the US Open. Tirante lost 6-3, 6-2 to France’s Arthur Fils on Thursday night. Fils controlled the match with his powerful groundstrokes and completed the victory in just 64 minutes.
The one-sided loss did little to take away from Tirante’s best performance at an ATP Masters 1000 tournament. Masters 1000 events sit just below the four Grand Slam tournaments in importance and bring together most of the world’s leading players. Tirante’s biggest moment came in the second round, when he recovered from a slow start to defeat Novak Djokovic 2-6, 6-4, 6-4.
Djokovic struggled physically in Cincinnati’s heat and humidity, but Tirante still had to remain calm and take advantage of his opportunities. He broke Djokovic late in the deciding set and then served out the match without losing a point. It was the biggest victory of Tirante’s career. Djokovic has won a record 24 Grand Slam singles titles and more Masters 1000 tournaments than any other man.
Tirante then showed that the upset was not simply a lucky afternoon. He defeated Spain’s Martín Landaluce 7-6, 7-6 before coming from behind to beat 16th-ranked Jakub Mensik 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 in the fourth round. That victory sent Tirante into his first Masters 1000 quarterfinal. He joined Francisco Cerúndolo as the only active Argentine men to have reached that stage at a tournament of this level.
Fils proved to be a step too far. The Frenchman broke Tirante late in the first set and twice more in the second. Tirante did not earn a break point during the match. Even so, Cincinnati marked another major step forward in what has become a breakthrough season for the Argentine.
Tirante began 2026 ranked No. 103 in the world and arrived in Cincinnati at a career-high No. 50. His quarterfinal appearance moved him to a projected career-high No. 41 in the live rankings, although the official rankings will not be released until the tournament is completed. Before this year, Tirante had never won more than six top-level matches in a season. He has now won 26 in 2026, including trips to the fourth round at the Masters tournaments in Rome and Montreal.
He has also become increasingly dangerous against highly ranked opponents. His Cincinnati victory over Djokovic followed wins against Ben Shelton and Taylor Fritz earlier this season. Tirante will now turn his attention to the US Open, where he has secured a place in the main draw. Singles play begins August 30 in New York.
After arriving in Cincinnati as a player unfamiliar to many casual tennis fans, Tirante will enter the year’s final Grand Slam as one of Latin America’s most interesting players to watch.
