Carlos Alcaraz clinched the ATP Cincinnati Open title on Monday after defending champion Jannik Sinner retired due to illness in the opening set of the final.
World No. 1 Sinner came into the match unwell and quickly fell behind, losing the first seven points before retiring at 5-0 down in sweltering 30°C heat.
The Italian lasted just 22 minutes, calling for the doctor after the fifth game before conceding the contest.
Sinner, who now faces a race against time to be fit for the US Open starting Sunday, admitted he was disappointed but credited Alcaraz.
“I just tried to go out for the fans, trying to give them a match… but it was not meant to be for me today. I don’t want to take anything away from Carlos – he had a great tournament again,” Sinner said.
Despite the setback, the Italian remains optimistic about his season.
“It’s been an incredible year. The main focus is the US Open. Recovery is the most important now.”
For Alcaraz, it was a milestone victory – his 22nd career title and 17th consecutive Masters 1000 win. It also avenged his 2023 final loss in Cincinnati to Novak Djokovic.
“Obviously it’s not the way I wanted to win,” Alcaraz said. “First of all, I just want to wish Jannik a speedy recovery. For myself, I’m really happy to finally lift this trophy – I wanted it badly after last year.”
The Spaniard now leads his head-to-head with Sinner 9-5, though he lost to the Italian in their last encounter at Wimbledon last month. Alcaraz heads into New York brimming with confidence.
“New York is a place I love – it’s where I got my first Grand Slam. Last year was disappointing, so this year I want to show my best tennis.”
