Sinner lasted just five games before retiring from the Cincinnati Open final against Carlos Alcaraz, with just a week to go before the start of the US Open

Jannik Sinner was forced to retire from the Cincinnati Open final against Carlos Alcaraz due to an illness, forcing him to withdraw from the US Open mixed doubles as well.

Carlos Alcaraz won the Cincinnati Open title in anticlimactic circumstances as rival Jannik Sinner retired due to illness just 23 minutes into the match.

US Open Senior Director of Player Relations Eric Butorac dropped a bombshell, revealing that Jannik Sinner inquired whether Serena Williams could be a potential mixed doubles partner.

Carlos Alcaraz won the Cincinnati Open on Monday after Jannik Sinner was forced to retire due to illness. Alcaraz was already up big on Sinner, the World No. 1, when he had to retire. Sinner told the crowd that he hoped to play after feeling bad overnight, but he couldn't make it work.

Jannik Sinner’s preparations for the US Open ended in emotional scenes as he retired from the Cincinnati final after just five games and 23 minutes.

It felt like tennis had delivered the perfect script—world No. 1 Jannik Sinner versus world No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz in a Masters 1000 final. Both had torn through the draw in Cincinnati, barely breaking a sweat, setting up the dream clash fans had been waiting for.