Jannik Sinner retired from his Cincinnati Open final against Carlos Alcaraz due to illness, just six days before defending his US Open title. The world number one was out of sorts from the start and trailed 5-0 in the first 23 minutes. He called for the trainer after losing another two games and eventually apologized to the umpire and officials before retiring.
Sinner shared a hug with Alcaraz, saying he felt “really bad” for disappointing the fans. The Italian player expressed his apologies to the crowd, explaining that he didn’t feel great from yesterday’s match but tried to make it through despite worsening symptoms. He admitted that he couldn’t handle more and was sorry for letting everyone down.
Despite this loss, Sinner remains world number one due to his consistent performances on hard courts. Alcaraz, who won the title, is closing in on the top ranking and will be Sinner’s biggest rival at the US Open. The pair have split the past seven Grand Slams and it’s unclear who will stop them from adding an eighth to that tally.
Sinner will still compete in the US Open mixed doubles alongside Iga Swiatek on Tuesday, but his singles participation is uncertain due to his illness.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/sport/tennis/articles/c4gl31pey81o