Sinner's title defense in doubt after shock Cincinnati final retirement
World No. 1 Jannik Sinner faces a fitness race for the U.S. Open after retiring from the Cincinnati Open final against Carlos Alcaraz due to illness. The Italian, who was down 5-0 in the first set, apologized to fans and now has a limited window to recover before beginning his title defense in New York this Sunday.
In a dramatic and unexpected turn of events, World No. 1 Jannik Sinner retired from the men's singles final at the Cincinnati Open due to illness, ending what was expected to be the latest classic showdown between the sport's two top players. Sinner visibly struggled from the start of the match and, after just 23 minutes of play, was broken three times by Carlos Alcaraz before retiring with the score at 5-0 in the first set.
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The shocking result puts Sinner's U.S. Open title defense in serious doubt. Sinner, who had a remarkable 26-match winning streak on hard courts, confirmed his decision to officials, telling them, "I feel really bad, I feel so sorry for the fans." He then embraced Alcaraz before leaving the court, now facing a race against time to recover for the tournament in New York, which begins this Sunday.
"I'm super sorry to disappoint you. From yesterday, I didn't feel great. I thought I would get better during the night but it got worse," Sinner said in a post-match interview, at times clutching his stomach. "I tried to come out and make it a small match but I couldn't handle more. I'm very sorry for all of you. I know some of you on Monday have to work or do something else, so I'm really sorry."
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The retirement marks the end of Sinner's impressive winning streak on hard courts and hands Alcaraz his eighth ATP 1000 title. Alcaraz, who has now won six titles in 2025, is scheduled to play in a mixed doubles competition in New York alongside Britain's Emma Raducanu on Tuesday, while Sinner is expected to withdraw from the two-day event.
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"It's not the way I want to win matches or the trophy," said Alcaraz. "I know and understand how you [Sinner] feel right now. I can't say anything you don't know. You are a true champion and I'm sure you will come back better, even stronger. You always do and that's what true champions do. Sorry, and come back stronger."
Will Sinner be ready for the US Open?
Despite the setback, former Grand Slam doubles champion Ryan Harrison is not overly concerned about Sinner's ability to compete at Flushing Meadows. Harrison, speaking on Sky Sports Tennis coverage, believes that since the issue is an illness rather than an injury, the Italian should have enough time to recover.
"He will be straight to the doctors. It's not something I would be overly worried about, given that the U.S. Open is two weeks off and you get a day off after each match," said Harrison. "By the time he recovers this week, gets through the opening match, then in 10 days he will be fully recovered at the latter stages."
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The intense heat in Cincinnati during the two-week tournament caused a lot of fatigue and illness among several players, which may have contributed to Sinner's issues.
Despite the minor setback, Sinner is still expected to be a joint-favorite to win the last Grand Slam of the year with Alcaraz. The pair have dominated men's tennis over the past 18 months, winning the last seven majors since the start of 2024. Their rivalry has become a major highlight of the sport, with a recent classic at this year's French Open where Alcaraz came back from two sets down to win in a grueling five hours and 29 minutes. Sinner got his revenge at the Wimbledon final a month later, and it would not be a surprise to see a third straight Grand Slam final between the two at the U.S. Open.
