Illness Comes Out on Top in the Latest Battle of the Titans

What we learnt from the Cincinnati Open final between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, and how it may define the outcome of the US Open.

It was all set up to be another ‘Clash of the Titans’ matchup between Alcaraz and Sinner, this being their first meeting since the Wimbledon final in July. It was also their last match until the US Open coming on the 24th of August. Everyone was hoping for another spectacle. However, that wasn’t meant to be.

It was known the day before the final that Sinner was feeling unwell, and unfortunately for him, his condition worsened on the day. In the third and fourth games, Sinner began to hold his stomach in agony, and as the match progressed, there was no strength left in him to continue.

Due to this, Alcaraz completely annihilated the Italian, reaching 5-0 within 23 minutes until Sinner called it quits.

The question now on everyone's mind's is - will he recover in time? The US Open draw is revealed on the 21st August, and he will have to be ready if he is to defend his title and continue his dominance in world tennis.

Nevertheless, we can’t take anything away from the brilliance of Carlos Alcaraz. He continued to show his skill, even on a weakened Jannik Sinner, proving everything he could before the Italian was forced to retire.

The Spaniard’s first ever major title was the US Open back in 2022, and I’m sure he was hoping for a much longer battle against last year’s US Champion. But his focus won’t be on that for now. With the points in the ATP rankings closer than ever, he will now be looking to overtake Sinner and re-establish himself as the No. 1 seed in men’s tennis. But can he really achieve this?

Before the final took place, Jannik Sinner was on a 26-game unbeaten run on hard courts and hadn’t dropped a set in Cincinnati; therefore, it is safe to say that if Sinner is able to recover in time for the US Open, he will still be the one to beat – not Alcaraz.

As the reigning champion, he will do all he can to achieve another Grand Slam title, but only time will tell if he can bounce back from such a disappointing end to his tournament.

It would be wrong to write off anyone else from winning this year’s US Open, with Ben Shelton showing off his skills in Montreal over a week ago. He will be looking to win his first ever major title, especially on home soil.

Stay tuned for what will be an action-packed end of the month.