In a stunning turn of events, Jannik Sinner withdrew from his 2025 Cincinnati Open final against Carlos Alcaraz late in the first set.
Throughout the first five games of the match, Sinner seemed to be struggling with what appeared to be the hot conditions. After going down 0-5 in the first set, Sinner then retired during a medical time-out (MTO), with chair umpire Mohamed Lahyani citing an illness while informing the stadium of the news.
Congratulations to Carlos, our new champion.
Get better soon, @janniksin 🙏
As the defending champion sat teary-eyed, Alcaraz went over to console him in a show of sportsmanship.
During replays shown on the TennisTV broadcast, Sinner could be seen touching the lower left quadrant of his abdomen during a service game, a possible indication of the illness referenced by the commentary team.
Jannik Sinner Talks Retirement Following Cincinnati Final
Throughout the Cincinnati Open Jannik Sinner looked poised to defend his title, punching his ticket to the final without dropping a set.
Although he faced tiebreaks against Gabriel Diallo in the third round, Adrian Mannarino in the fourth round, and Terence Atmane in the semifinals, Sinner’s consistent high-level play was on full display.
On the heels of a heartbreaking retirement against Alcaraz, the world No. 1 addressed the crowd at P&G Center Court during the trophy presentation aired on Tennis Channel:
“Usually I start with the opponent but today I have to start with you guys (the fans). I’m super sorry to disappoint you. 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.”
Given his withdrawal from today’s match, Sinner will now likely withdraw from the US Open’s Mixed Doubles event, which he was set to play with Katerina Siniakova tomorrow.
Carlos Alcaraz Wishes Sinner Well Following Retirement
Following Jannik Sinner’s speech during the trophy ceremony, Carlos Alcaraz addressed the crowd, wishing the Italian star well after winning his first Cincinnati Masters 1000 title.
“That is not the way that I want to win matches, to win [the] trophy. I just got to say sorry. I know and I understand how you can feel right now. I can’t say anything that you don’t know already, but as I said many many times you are truly [a] champion.
“I’m pretty sure that from this situation you are going to come back better, even stronger. You always do that and that’s what [a] true champion does and you are really one. So, sorry and come back stronger.”
Despite the win under less-than-ideal circumstances, Alcaraz now sits 1,540 points ahead of Sinner in the ATP’s Race to Turin.
Per the ATP live rankings, Alcaraz is also now also just 1,890 points behind the world No. 1 ahead of the start of the US Open.
Considering Sinner won the tournament last year, he’ll have 2,000 points to defend in New York over the coming weeks, while on the flip side Alcaraz will look to bounce back from a second-round exit.
Jannik Sinner Retires Against Carlos Alcaraz In Cincinnati Open Final