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An eagerly anticipated clash between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner at the Cincinnati Open ended in an anticlimactic victory for Alcaraz, as Sinner retired just 23 minutes into the final due to illness. Alcaraz had quickly established a 5-0 lead in the first set when the out-of-sorts Sinner announced he could not continue in what was to be their 14th career match-up.
“I’m super, super sorry to disappoint you,” Sinner said to the crowd in his on-court interview. “From yesterday, I didn’t feel great. I thought that I would improve during the night, but it came up worse.
“I tried to come out, tried to make it at least a small match, but I couldn’t handle more, so I’m very, very sorry for all of you.”
This was Alcaraz’s sixth ATP title this year and 22nd overall, going some way to avenging his loss to Sinner in the Wimbledon final last month. He now heads to the US Open hoping to win a sixth grand slam crown.
“I’m so sorry for Jannik!” Alcaraz wrote on X. “Nobody likes to win because their opponent retires, especially in a final like this. Wishing you a speedy recovery! Very happy with my week in Cincinnati and feeling ready for the US Open.”
The Spaniard’s victory ended Sinner’s 26-match winning streak on hard courts, as well as denying his opponent back-to-back titles in Cincinnati.
Sinner is scheduled to play in a revamped mixed doubles competition at the US Open alongside Czech Republic’s Kateřina Siniaková on Tuesday, though his participation is now in doubt.
Asked about how he now switches his focus to the US Open, Sinner said that he has “a couple of days of recovery,” per the ATP Tour, suggesting that he will skip the mixed doubles to focus on singles.
Alcaraz and Sinner have split the past seven grand slam titles, while Alcaraz’s first title in Cincinnati sees him close the gap on his rival at the top of the world rankings.
In the women’s final, Iga Świątek defeated Jasmine Paolini 7-5, 6-4 to claim a first Cincinnati title and 24th on the WTA Tour, adding to the maiden Wimbledon crown she won last month.
