Jannik Sinner stood before the Cincinnati crowd with visible emotion after withdrawing from the 2025 final against Carlos Alcaraz. The match lasted just 23 minutes, with Sinner trailing 5-0 before calling for a medical timeout and ultimately retiring due to illness. In his finalist speech, he said, “I am very very sorry for all of you for disappointing,” acknowledging the fans who had hoped to witness a full showdown between the world’s top two players.
illness derails a promising final
Sinner revealed that he had not felt well since the day before the match. “Didn’t feel great from yesterday. Also during the night, I thought I would recover a bit better,” he explained. Despite his condition, he chose to step onto the court in hopes of delivering a competitive match. “I just tried to go out for the fans, trying to give, you know, a match. That’s the reason why I went on the court, but it was not meant to be for me today,” he added.
praise for Alcaraz and focus on recovery
In his speech, Sinner made sure to credit Alcaraz for his performance throughout the week. “He had a great week, great tournament again,” Sinner said. He emphasized that his focus now shifts to recovery ahead of the US Open, where he is the defending champion. “Now recovery is the most important, and then we see,” he concluded, leaving fans hopeful for his return to full strength.
rivalry paused but not forgotten
The Cincinnati final was expected to be another thrilling chapter in the Alcaraz-Sinner rivalry, which has already featured Grand Slam finals and dramatic five-set battles. Though this match ended prematurely, the mutual respect between the two players was evident. Alcaraz consoled Sinner on court and later wrote “Sorry Jannik” on a camera lens, a gesture that captured the spirit of sportsmanship between them.
Jannik Sinner in 2025
Currently the world no.1, Sinner played his last match on the 18th
of August when he had to retire when playing against world no.2 Carlos Alcaraz in the final and the scoreline was 5-0 .At the moment, during this season Jannik owns a compiled 31-4 match record. The Italian has won 2 titles in 2025 at the Australian Open and Wimbledon. Sinner was the runner-up in Rome, French Open and Cincinnati.
Carlos Alcaraz in 2025
Currently ranked no.2, Carlos played his last match on the 18th of August when he beat world no.1 Jannik Sinner 5-0 in the final in Cincinnati to win his 23rd career title.
Currently, during this season Alcaraz owns a compiled 54-6 win-loss record. Alcaraz conquered 6 titles in 2025 in Rotterdam, Monte-Carlo, Rome, French Open, London and Cincinnati. Carlos was the runner-up in Barcelona and Wimbledon.
Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz faced off 15 times. The head to head is 10-5 for Alcaraz.