With just 23 minutes into the Cincinnati Open championship match, and Carlos Alcaraz leading the first set 5-0, world number one Jannik Sinner took the difficult decision to retire from the final due to illness.
During the trophy ceremony, the Italian, visibly disappointed, addressed the fans who packed the stadium, saying: “I’m super, super sorry to disappoint you. From yesterday, I didn’t feel great. I thought that I would improve during the night, but I came up worse. I tried to come out, tried to make it at least a small match, but I couldn’t handle more, so I’m very sorry.”
A bittersweet end to a much-anticipated contest, their fourth consecutive clash in a final this season, coming off the back of relentless runs at the Lindner Family Tennis Center.
Meanwhile, the unexpected championship match saw the 22-year-old Spaniard become the second youngest man to win eight ATP Masters 1000 titles, tying Thomas Muster for the 10th longest winning streak (17) in series history.
Speaking to Sinner, the two-time Roland-Garros champion demonstrated his sportsmanship, expressing, “This is not the way that I want to win trophies. I just have to say sorry, I can understand how you must feel now.
“As I said many times, you are a true champion; I am sure, from these situations, you are going to come back better and even stronger, as you always do. That’s what true champions do.”
Worthy of winning Cincinnati for the first time, Alcaraz came through a tough draw en route to the ultimate battle for supremacy against Sinner.
The Murcia native, who dropped just two sets all tournament, leads the tour with 54 wins.
The Path to the Title Match
He punched his ticket into the final after moving past ailing world No. 3 Alexander Zverev with a 6-4, 6-3 victory.
Previously, he rallied to overpower ninth seed Andrey Rublev, recording a 6-3, 4-6, 7-5 quarterfinal triumph, his best performance at that time in the event.
Playing the round of 16, the second seed sailed past Italian Luca Nardi 6-1, 6-4.
Before, the 22-time ATP titlist defeated Hamad Medjedovic also in straight sets, having launched his campaign on North American soil with a three-set win over world No. 60. Damir Dzumhur.
Furthermore, in the build-up to the fourth Grand Slam of the season, Alcaraz has become the first man since 24-time major champion Novak Djokovic and former world No. 1 Andy Murray to earn 54 or more wins before heading to the US Open.
In addition, he has earned a 1,890-point advantage over Sinner in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin.
With the Year-End No. 1 at stake, the Italian player will have just a couple of days to recover in time for his title defense in New York, where 2000 points will be on the line.
Both players have already qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals.