CINCINNATI — In a swift turn of events on Monday, Carlos Alcaraz clinched the Cincinnati Open title in just over 20 minutes after the top-seeded Jannik Sinner was compelled to withdraw due to illness during the opening set.
This final marked their fourth encounter this year and the first since their clash at Wimbledon. Sinner found himself trailing 5-0 in the first set, plagued by nine unforced errors. During a brief intermission, he was seen utilizing an ice pack on his head, ultimately choosing to retire after a mere 22 minutes of play.
“I didn’t feel great since yesterday,” Sinner explained. “I hoped to recover better overnight, but unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. I wanted to put on a show for the fans, but today just wasn’t my day.”
This marked only the third occasion in history that the Cincinnati Open men’s final ended with a retirement, the first instance occurring since 2011 when Novak Djokovic halted his match during the second set due to a shoulder issue.
“I wish Jannik a speedy recovery and hope he feels better in a few days,” Alcaraz said. “As for me, I’m incredibly thrilled to lift the trophy. I lost the final here in 2023, so this victory means a lot.”
Fresh off a 12-match winning streak and with 26 consecutive wins on hard courts, Sinner had aimed to become the first player since Roger Federer to secure back-to-back titles at the Cincinnati Open in 2014 and 2015.
Currently ranked No. 2, Alcaraz now boasts a 9-5 lead in his head-to-head matchups with the Italian star.
While Sinner secured victory over Alcaraz in four sets at Wimbledon, Alcaraz triumphed in a five-set epic at the French Open and with straight sets at the Rome Masters in May.
Unfortunately, fans were deprived of another thrilling showdown as Sinner received medical attention after having his serve broken for what turned out to be the third time, ultimately resulting in his retirement.
“I noticed he wasn’t feeling well after the third game,” Alcaraz remarked. “I know him well. We’ve had intense battles, and seeing him make more errors was definitely unusual.”
This final was a rare meeting for the top two male players at the Cincinnati Open, with the last occurrence being in 2022 when No. 2 Djokovic faced No. 1 Alcaraz, and in 2012 when No. 1 Federer took on No. 2 Djokovic.
No. 3 Iga Swiatek went up against No. 7 Jasmine Paolini in the women’s final later on Monday.
The Cincinnati Open serves as a vital precursor for the U.S. Open, which kicks off this Sunday in New York. Over the past two years, both the men’s and women’s champions from the Cincinnati Open have gone on to triumph in the final Grand Slam of the year.
