Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz won his sixth ATP title this year, beating Jannik Sinner in the final. Alcaraz admitted that he didn’t want to win matches and tournaments like that but sometimes that’s the way it goes as Sinner retired from the game due to illness after trailing 0-5 in the first set.
Carlos Alcaraz continued to extend his head-to-head titles record over the World No.1 Jannik Sinner after winning the Cincinnati Open in Mason, Ohio, on Monday, August 18. Sinner, who won Wimbledon last month, retired mid-match during the final due to illness, and he apologised to the fans after discontinuing. Sinner was trailing 0-5 in the first set and seemed to be struggling under the Ohio Sun in 31 degrees.
Sinner’s rhythm seemed a bit erratic from the get-go and it worsened with every game. The 24-year-old Italian star had to call it off eventually before he revealed that he didn’t feel the night before but wanted to push as far as he could to play the final but couldn’t and his premature withdrawal now leaves a question mark over his US Open participation.
“I’m super, super sorry to disappoint you,” Sinner told the fans at the trophy presentation. “From yesterday I didn’t feel great. I thought that I would improve during the night but it came up worse. So 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 some of you on Monday maybe had to work or do something else, so I’m very, very sorry,” he added.
Alcaraz, on the other hand, was cruising. He broke it early and easy as Sinner looked to keep the points short. Sinner wasn’t moving well and the force on the shots just kept diminishing as the set went on. Alcaraz was firing bullets before taking the game away. The 22-year-old Spaniard, who won his sixth ATP title this year, echoed Sinner’s sentiments saying that it wasn’t nice to win the way he did while acknowledging his opponent.
“As you said, Jannik, this is not the way I want to win matches, to win the trophy. I just gotta say sorry. I know and understand how you can feel right now. I can’t say anything you don’t know already, but as I say many times you are truly a champion.
“I’m pretty sure from this situation you’re going to come back stronger. You always do – that’s what true champions do. You really are one. Sorry and come back stronger,” he added.
This was the eighth ATP 1000 title for Alcaraz by the age of 22. Only Rafael Nadal achieved the same at a younger age.