Alcaraz wins Cincinnati after Sinner withdraws with illness

Sinner withdraws from the final with illness, and Alcaraz takes the title as both players eye the US Open.

Alcaraz wins Cincinnati after Sinner withdraws with illness

Carlos Alcaraz won the Cincinnati Open after Jannik Sinner withdrew from the final due to illness, leaving the match after 23 minutes with the score at 5-0 in the opening set. The withdrawal ends Sinner’s 26-match hard-court winning streak and gives Alcaraz his third Masters 1000 crown this season, extending his lead in their hard-court head-to-head to 9-5.

The outcome raises questions about Sinner's readiness for the US Open which starts next week, and whether he will be fit enough for the revamped mixed doubles with Katerina Siniakova in New York. The match, played in hot conditions, underscored how health and scheduling shape results even for the sport’s best players and added a twist to the season’s most anticipated rivalries.

Health and timing sit at the heart of this result. A retirement in a title match reveals how even top athletes must balance training, recovery, and travel when the calendar asks for late-season peak performance.

The Alcaraz-Sinner dynamic remains the marquee narrative of the year. A Cincinnati win handed Alcaraz a momentum boost on hard courts while reminding fans that the season's big moments can hinge on a single health setback for the other side of the net.

Highlights

The story is not finished; health and form will shape the next big matches.