Carlos Alcaraz clinched his maiden Masters 1000 crown in Cincinnati after Jannik Sinner retired ill just 22 minutes into the final.
The Italian, visibly struggling to breathe, stunned fans when he told the umpire, “I feel like I can collapse at any moment,” before conceding the match at 0-5 in the opening set.
The much-anticipated clash, their fourth meeting in a tour-level final this season, ended in heartbreak as Sinner—who had been on a 26-match hard-court winning streak—was unable to continue. Despite dominating all week without dropping a set, the 23-year-old was forced to walk away in tears, apologising to the crowd:
“I’m super sorry to disappoint you. From yesterday I didn’t feel great, but it got worse today. I couldn’t handle more. Congrats Carlos on another title. I wish you the best for the US Open.”
It was only the third Cincinnati final in history to feature the world’s top two men’s players. Fans hoping for another epic were left stunned as Alcaraz lifted the trophy by default, consoling his rival at courtside.
Sinner, who also pointed to the extreme heat as a factor, now faces a race against time to recover before the US Open, where he is set to defend his title. His participation in mixed doubles with Katerina Siniakova remains uncertain.
