Carlos Alcaraz has won the Cincinnati Open title in the most unfortunate of circumstances.
The Spaniard was 5-0 up against his great rival Jannik Sinner, when the Italian was forced to retire from the match.
In his runner-up speech, Sinner confirmed that he had not been feeling well the day previous and his condition had become increasingly worse as time progressed.
Alcaraz, who lost his last match against Sinner in the Wimbledon final, was empathetic towards his opponent in his winner’s speech, while also writing ‘sorry Jannik’ on a television camera after the victory.
Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images
Attention will now turn to the US Open, and American former tennis star Ryan Harrison has weighed in on Sinner and Alcaraz’s chances at the tournament.
Ryan Harrison picks Carlos Alcaraz as his favourite for the US Open
Former world number 40 Ryan Harrison was speaking on Sky Sports on Monday evening when he was asked whether Carlos Alcaraz can win the US Open.
Harrison, who won the 2017 French Open doubles title with Michael Venus, pinpointed Carlos Alcaraz as his favourite to lift a second US Open Men’s Singles crown.
He said: “Yes. Absolutely he can.
“Carlos has the most creativity in the game. What he can do with the ball with spin, the way he can transition, it’s why he can disrupt Sinner. Sinner hits the ball so big and flat that he can literally overpower the rest of the tour.
Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images
“Carlos is physically fit and strong enough that he can withstand those big strikes from Sinner but he can also create spin, create slice, use the drop shot.
“We have talked about Carlos’s drop shot for years now. He transitions well. And now he is getting free points on serve, which is another thing you have to deal with if you are in the Sinner camp.
“So yes, absolutely, I think Carlos can be a champion in New York again and I’d go as far as to say I have Carlos as the favourite in New York this year.”
Will Jannik Sinner be fully fit for the US Open?
Jannik Sinner would have hoped to enter into the US Open Men’s Singles campaign in perfect health. However, this is now doubtful considering his condition in Cincinnati.
The Italian, who is also due to participate in the US Open Mixed Doubles competition alongside Katerina Siniakova, will have to recover quickly if he hopes to perform at his best in Flushing Meadows.
After all, Sinner will be hoping to defend his US Open Men’s Singles title from 2024. The Italian defeated Taylor Fritz in straight sets in the 2024 US Open final.
In 2025, the event starts on August 24 and will run until September 7.