PREVIEW

Sinner Retires from Cincinnati Final Against Alcaraz Due to Illness. World number one Jannik Sinner retires from the Cincinnati Open final against Carlos Alcaraz due to illness, six days before defending his US Open title. Sinner struggled from the first point, quickly falling 5-0 in sweltering conditions on hard courts. The Italian called for the trainer after losing additional games, sitting with ice on his head to cope with the heat. Tearful Sinner apologized to officials and the crowd, saying he felt «really bad» for disappointing fans. He hugged Alcaraz, raised his hands to the crowd in apology, and hid his face in his towel as emotions took over. Alcaraz comforted Sinner, writing “Sorry Jannik” on the camera lens after the match. Alcaraz claimed his first Cincinnati title and seventh win of the season, though he admitted it was not the way he wanted to win. Despite retiring, Sinner keeps the world number one ranking, while Alcaraz remains his closest US Open rival. The two tennis stars have split the past seven Grand Slam finals, with this illness-shortened match ending what could have been another intense showdown.
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