Carlos Alcaraz advanced to the final of the Cincinnati Open after defeating Alexander Zverev 6-4, 6-3 in a match that was as emotionally complex as it was competitive. While the Spaniard celebrated his progress to another Masters 1000 final, his thoughts were clearly with his opponent, who struggled physically throughout the match.
Zverev’s physical struggles
Zverev began the match with intensity, but his condition deteriorated in the second set. He took a medical timeout at 2-1 and returned to the court visibly hampered. His movement was limited, and he appeared to be battling the same issues that had affected him during his quarterfinal win over Ben Shelton. Despite his efforts, Zverev couldn’t maintain the level of play needed to challenge Alcaraz, who capitalized on the situation to close out the match.
A message of empathy
After the match, Alcaraz approached the courtside camera and wrote a message that captured the emotional weight of the moment: “Happy for the final but feeling bad for Sascha. Wish you all the best.” It was a simple but powerful gesture that reflected the sportsmanship and mutual respect between the two players.
Alcaraz’s reflections
In his post-match interview, Alcaraz admitted that Zverev’s condition affected his own focus. “We started the match really good, playing good rallies, a good level of tennis. But then all of a sudden he started to feel bad. And then I was thinking about how he’s feeling, besides focusing on myself and playing good tennis,” he said. He emphasized the difficulty of competing against someone who is not at full strength, especially when that person is a friend and respected rival.
Looking ahead
With this win, Alcaraz leveled his head-to-head record against Zverev at 6-6 and secured a place in the final against Jannik Sinner. The match will be their fourth final meeting of the year, and Alcaraz is determined to bring his best. Meanwhile, concerns linger over Zverev’s health as the US Open approaches. His recent struggles with breathing and movement raise questions about his readiness for the next major tournament.
Alexander Zverev in 2025
At the moment ranked no.3, the German played his last match on the 16th of August when he lost to world no.2 Carlos Alcaraz 6-4 6-3 in the semifinal in Cincinnati (draw)
.This year the German achieved a composed 43-16 record. The German conquered 1 title in Munich. Alexander was the finalist at the Australian Open and Stuttgart.
Alcaraz in Cincinnati, ranking, and results in 2025
Currently the world no.2, Carlos has achieved a compiled 53-6 record in 2025. Carlos is now competing in Cincinnati where he bested the world no.56 Damir Dzumhur 6-1 2-6 6-3, the world no.72 Hamad Medjedovic 6-4 6-4, the world no.98 Luca Nardi 6-1 6-4, the world no.11 Andrey Rublev 6-3 4-6 7-5 and the world no.3 Alexander Zverev 6-4 6-3.
Carlos Alcaraz will compete against the world no.1 Jannik Sinner in the final. The head to head is 9-5 for Alcaraz.
Carlos clinched 5 titles in 2025 in Rotterdam, Monte-Carlo, Rome, French Open and London. Alcaraz reached the final in Barcelona (Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell) and in Wimbledon.
Alcaraz won 22 titles in his career: 5 on hard courts, 11 on clay courts, 2 on indoor courts and 4 on grass courts. (See the list of his titles)
Alexander Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz played each other 12 times. Their current record is 6-6.