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Alejandro Davidovich Fokina Slams Cincinnati Masters After Jannik Sinner Retires in Final

Originally posted on FirstSportz | By Gouri Das | Last updated Aug 19, 2025 9:30 AM ET

It was Monday, the start of the work week for the majority of people. But still enthusiastic tennis fans flocked to P & G Center Court in the afternoon for the Cincinnati Masters final, which they expected to be nothing short of an exhilarating match: between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.

But alas, the match was not what they wished. They were disappointed for sure, and Sinner apologized to them. Sinner was seen struggling from the very start of the match, as in no time he found himself at 0-5 in the first set. It was then that he deemed it best to retire. In his runner-up speech, Sinner revealed he was not feeling good the day before but still participated in the final in the hope that he would recover a bit.

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina implied that the reason behind Sinner’s health issue could be due to the scheduling of the Cincinnati Masters. Players have often complained about the two-week Masters 1000s, and because the Canadian Open as well as the Cincinnati Masters are no longer weeklong events, the former’s final was held on Thursday, while the Sinner versus Alcaraz was scheduled at 3 pm ET on Monday.

A Monday final at 3pm in August in Cincinnati, after the whole Toronto–Cincinnati swing, with so many retirements and players dead tired… something needs to change.
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina wrote on X

Check out his tweet here:

Final un lunes, a las 3 de la tarde en agosto en Cincinnati, después de toda la gira de Toronto y Cincinnati, con tantas retiradas y jugadores muertos físicamente… algo tiene que cambiar

A Monday final at 3pm in August in Cincinnati, after the whole Toronto–Cincinnati swing,…
— Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (@alexdavidovich1) August 18, 2025

Fokina himself retired mid-match in both Toronto and Cincinnati. In the Canadian event, he handed the walkover to Andrey Rublev in the fourth round, while in Cincinnati, he retired mid-match in the second round against Joao Fonseca.

Both Sinner and Alcaraz considered playing a final on a weekday weird. And now that Sinner is dealing with a health issue, his participation in the US Open mixed doubles is uncertain.

Alcaraz and Sinner’s first mixed doubles match is on Tuesday, so the former’s participation is also in doubt. The Spaniard will be playing alongside Emma Raducanu, while Sinner’s partner is Grand Slam doubles champion Katerina Siniakova.

Carlos Alcaraz sends a message to Jannik Sinner after his withdrawal

Even Carlos Alcaraz did not wish to see his match end in this manner. After the final, he took to X to post a message to uplift Jannik Sinner‘s spirits.

I’m so sorry for Jannik! Nobody likes to win because their opponent retires, especially in a final like this. Wishing you a speedy recovery! Very happy with my week in Cincinnati and feeling ready for the US Open!

Check out his post here:

I’m so sorry for Jannik! Nobody likes to win because their opponent retires, especially in a final like this. Wishing you a speedy recovery! ❤️ Very happy with my week in Cincinnati and feeling ready for the US Open!

@CincyTennis pic.twitter.com/wEHPT1PBOH
— Carlos Alcaraz (@carlosalcaraz) August 18, 2025

In the semifinal as well, Alcaraz beat an ailing Alexander Zverev. Also, it’s only the second time in the Open Era that a player is forced to retire mid-match in the men’s final. The first player was Novak Djokovic (2011). It was the 24-time Grand Slam champion who denied Alcaraz this title when they met in the final in 2023.

Had Sinner won, he would have become the first man since Roger Federer (2014-15) to defend the Cincinnati Masters title. Alcaraz now has eight Masters 1000 titles and has become the third Spaniard to win the Cincinnati title after Carlos Moya (2002) and Rafael Nadal (2013).

The five-time Grand Slam champion has also improved his head-to-head record over the Italian ace to 9-5. He is 3-1 against Sinner this year after wins in the finals of the Italian Open, French Open, and Cincinnati. The only match Sinner has won against the World No.2 this season is the Wimbledon final.

What Sinner would hope the most is to recover well before his US Open singles campaign. He will be bidding to defend his title (beat Taylor Fritz last year) as well as bid for his third title of the season after Australian Open and Wimbledon wins.

This article first appeared on FirstSportz and was syndicated with permission.

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