The men’s Cincinnati Open final has been decided in disappointing and unceremonious fashion, with Jannik Sinner forced to retire before the first set had even concluded.
Carlos Alcaraz had rushed into a 5-0 lead, capitalising on the unfit state of his opponent.
He looked tired and dreary, and as he stumbled across the court between points, it was clear something was wrong.
That suspicion was confirmed after, when speaking to the medic, he made the tough decision to concede the title to the 22-year-old.
It was a brave and hugely disappointing decision, and not one he will have made lightly.
Such a bold move has brought about some calls for the Cincinnati Open to heed the warning that this year’s competition has provoked.
Cincinnati Open questioned after Jannik Sinner’s retirement
One such notable commenter is Jon Wertheim, one of the tennis’ foremost journalists.
He called for the competition to realise the error of its ways which could have even contributed to the fatigued state of Jannik Sinner.
Taking to X, he started his claim by ensuring there was ‘no shade intended’, before making a very fair point about the schedule that occurred after the men’s final.
After all, if the heat was bad enough to cause the world number one to retire in the midst of one of the sport’s most elite competitions, how can fans be expected to hang around until Iga Swiatek and Jasmine Paolini get things underway at 6pm local time.
Jannik Sinner confirms why he retired from the Cincinnati Open final
Speaking in his on-court interview after the match, Sinner did confirm the reasons behind his unfortunate retirement.
He revealed: “First, usually I start with the opponent but today I have to start with you guys. I am super, super sorry to disappoint you.
“From yesterday I did not feel great. I thought that I would improve during the night but it came out worse so I tried to come out to make it at least a small match, but I could not handle more. So I am very sorry for all of you. I know some of you on Monday had to work or do something else, so I am really, really sorry.”
Alcaraz sent a warm message to Sinner on social media immediately after, with his sadness palpable despite claiming the title.
It seems that Sinner was ill beforehand, but the heat will not have aided his preparation.
Perhaps these are key issues for the Cincinnati Open to heed ahead of next year’s tournament.
