Carlos Alcaraz captured the Cincinnati Open title on Monday after Jannik Sinner retired with an illness, leaving the final after just 22 minutes with Alcaraz leading 5-0 in the opening set. It was a quick and unusual finish in a year that had built toward a high-stakes clash between two of the sport’s top talents.
Sinner, who turned 24 on Saturday, had been riding a 12-match winning streak and had won 26 straight matches on hard courts. He was aiming to become the first player to win back-to-back Cincinnati Open titles since Roger Federer in 2014 and 2015, but illness forced him off the court. “Didn’t feel great from yesterday,” Sinner said, adding that he hoped for a better recovery for the fans but that today wasn’t possible.
Alcaraz, ranked No. 2, claimed the Cincinnati crown and improved to a 9-5 edge in his head-to-head against Sinner. “I am really, really happy to lift the trophy. I lost the final here in 2023, so I wanted this trophy badly,” he explained. The two had met in major finals earlier in the year, including Wimbledon and the French Open, highlighting the growing rivalry between the young stars.
This final marked only the third time the top two players have met in Cincinnati’s championship match, with the others featuring Djokovic-Alcaraz in 2022 and Federer-Djokovic in 2012. Sinner’s early retirement also left a rare blip in a tournament history that’s often used as a tune-up for the U.S. Open, which begins in New York later this week.
In the women’s event, third-ranked Iga Swiatek captured her title by defeating No. 7 Jasmine Paolini 7-5, 6-4. Swiatek has now won all six career meetings against Paolini, dropping just one set in those meetings, underscoring her ongoing dominance in the series.
The Cincinnati Open continues to serve as a crucial prelude to the U.S. Open, and the results here often set the tone for late-summer form. In recent years, the champions at Cincinnati have carried momentum into New York, with both sides seeing a similar trend in recent campaigns.
Summary: Alcaraz capitalized on Sinner’s illness to claim the Cincinnati Open title in a swift final, extending his lead over Sinner in their rivalry and boosting his momentum ahead of the U.S. Open. Swiatek’s win on the same day reinforces her form as she continues her dominance in the women’s game. A positive week for both tours’ top players sets the stage for an exciting U.S. Open stretch.