Carlos Alcaraz won the Cincinnati Open title in a little over 20 minutes Monday afternoon, after his nearest rival and world No. 1 Jannik Sinner retired through illness down 5-0.
Sinner fought back tears as he was forced to quit the match, which was poised to be another instalment in the most compelling current rivalry in tennis.
Sinner was struggling badly in sweltering conditions in Mason, Ohio, and as he sat down after losing his serve for a third time in a row, he admitted defeat. “I tried, I can’t,” he said to medical staff who had come on to treat him.
“I feel so sorry for the fans,” Sinner said as he fought back tears.
“From yesterday, I didn’t feel great,” he explained in his on-court interview. “I felt that I would improve during the match, but it came out worse. Super sorry to disappoint you (the fans). I tried to come out, trying to make it at least a small match, but I couldn’t handle more, so I’m very, very sorry for all of you. I know that maybe some of you on Monday, they had to work, they had to do something else. So I’m really, really sorry.”
He also apologized to his team, before adding: “But sometimes it is like this and we have to accept it.”
Alcaraz meanwhile wrote “Sorry Jannik” on a camera lens after comforting his opponent at the net, having secured an eighth title at 1,000 level, the rung below the Grand Slams. In his on-court interview, he said: “I’m just going to say, sorry, I know and I understand how you can feel right now. As I said many, many times, you are truly, truly a champion. I’m pretty sure that from this situation, you’re going to come back better, even stronger like you always do, and that’s what a true champion does, and you’re a real one. So, sorry and come back stronger.”
Sinner came out looking undercooked from the jump, finding it difficult to land first serves and going after every shot at full power. Alcaraz, who had gifted several points to an ailing Alexander Zverev in his semifinal, kept full focus, winning his service games and even retrieving some of Sinner’s hardest-hit shots that would have been winners against anyone else.
The victory means that Alcaraz not only leads their head-to-head 9-5, but he also closes the gap on Sinner at the top of the world rankings. He will start the U.S. Open as world No. 1 in the live ATP Tour rankings, with Sinner defending 2,000 points as reigning champion against Alcaraz’s 50 following his second-round exit last year.
The illness also calls into question Sinner’s participation in the U.S. Open mixed doubles, where he is slated to partner with Kateřina Siniaková, perhaps the greatest active doubles player in the world. That event begins Tuesday, Aug. 19, in New York, meaning Sinner would have to recover in less than 24 hours to participate.
The singles draws begin Sunday, Aug. 24, with Sinner and Alcaraz overwhelming favourites to play each other in another final. Though Monday’s blowout was a reminder that nothing can be taken for granted, even with the world’s best players.
(Photo: Dylan Buell / Getty Images)