Jannik Sinner withdraws from final against Carlos Alcaraz due to illness

In the United States, Jannik Sinner faced Carlos Alcaraz in the final match of the Cincinnati Open on August 18, 2025. Sinner, who had been in stellar form leading up to the final, retired from the match after just five games owing to illness. This came as a major shock to the crowd witnessing what was anticipated to be a thrilling rematch, considering Sinner had recently defeated Alcaraz to claim his first Wimbledon title. The match against Alcaraz marked Sinner's first appearance in a hard-court event since the Wimbledon victory, as both players had opted to skip the earlier Canadian Masters. Sinner started the match poorly and quickly fell to a 5-0 deficit in the opening set. It was immediately clear something was wrong, and after calling for a trainer, Sinner ultimately announced his retirement to the chair umpire, leaving Alcaraz to emerge victorious without a real contest. Sinner expressed his regret to the audience, revealing that he had not felt well leading up to the match and had hoped his condition would improve overnight. The crowd's disappointment was palpable, as they expected a fierce competition between the world’s top players. Carlos Alcaraz, who had a more challenging path to the final, had faced tougher opponents leading up to the match, including defeating world No. 11 Andrey Rublev and No. 3 Alexander Zverev. Despite the abrupt end to the match, Alcaraz demonstrated respect and sportsmanship by consoleing Sinner immediately after the retirement. With the U.S. Open set to begin shortly, questions now loom over Sinner's health and readiness for the tournament. As the defending U.S. Open champion, much anticipation surrounds his performance, particularly after a successful run at both the Australian Open and Wimbledon earlier in the season. The withdrawal raises concerns regarding Sinner's brilliance as he tries to recover in time to compete at another Grand Slam.