Illness Forces Sinner to Retire in Cincinnati Final Against Alcaraz

Jannik Sinner’s Cincinnati Open final ended in heartbreak as illness forced him to retire against Carlos Alcaraz, just days before the Italian begins his US Open title defence, Sport360NG reports.

The world number one looked visibly unwell from the outset, falling 5-0 behind within 23 minutes in sweltering conditions. He was seen applying ice to his head during the first changeover and soon called for medical attention after losing two more games.

Struggling to continue, a tearful Sinner apologised to the umpire, officials and crowd before embracing Alcaraz and raising his hands in apology to the fans. He then returned to his chair, hiding his face in a towel. Alcaraz quickly crossed the court to comfort his rival, writing “Sorry Jannik” on a TV camera in a show of respect.

Addressing the spectators, Sinner said:

“I’m really sorry to disappoint you. From yesterday I wasn’t feeling great, and today it got worse. I tried to make it at least a bit of a match, but I couldn’t go on. I know some of you made sacrifices to be here, and I’m very sorry.”

The retirement handed Alcaraz his first Cincinnati crown and seventh title of the season, though the Spaniard admitted it was not how he wanted to win.

“You’ll come back even stronger, like you always do,” Alcaraz told Sinner. “That’s what true champions do, and you are one.”

Sinner, Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek are all due to feature in the US Open mixed doubles on Tuesday in New York, though Sinner’s participation with partner Katerina Siniakova now looks doubtful. The singles main draw begins on Sunday.

Despite his disappointment, Sinner can take encouragement that his setback was illness rather than injury. He entered the final on a 26-match hard-court winning streak and had not dropped a set all week in Cincinnati.

The Italian will retain his number one ranking, but Alcaraz continues to close the gap and remains his fiercest rival heading into Flushing Meadows. The two can only meet in the final, with Sinner defending more ranking points after winning the title last year.

This was the fourth final between the pair in 2025. Alcaraz now leads 2-1 in finals this season on clay, while Sinner prevailed in their Wimbledon clash. But in Cincinnati, the contest was effectively over before it began: Alcaraz dominated the brief exchanges, winning 21 of 29 points and committing just one unforced error to Sinner’s nine.

With the duo having shared the last seven Grand Slams, the stage is once again set for their rivalry to define the outcome at the US Open.