Jannik Sinner has withdrawn from the final of the Cincinnati Masters 1000. Illness forced the South Tyrolean to retire in the first set, down 5-0 to Carlos Alcaraz, who went on to win the tournament.

The match between the world No. 1 and No. 2 saw the Spaniard win the tournament due to his rival's withdrawal: "I went out on court for the fans, but I can't do it. I feel so bad, I can't move," the Italian said when announcing his withdrawal. Alcaraz immediately approached his opponent to console him, confirming that despite the rivalry, there is great respect between the two. He then wrote "Sorry Jannik" on camera. The world No. 1 then apologized to the crowd that had come to watch the Cincinnati final.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I haven't felt well since yesterday," Sinner said at the awards ceremony, greeted by a standing ovation from the crowd. "I hoped to improve, but I've gotten worse. I'm so sorry because many of you had other things to do today. Carlos, congratulations, this isn't the way you wanted, I wish you all the best for the rest of the season. Thank you to my team for pushing me every day. Thank you for your support and for understanding the situation. I'm sorry to disappoint you, but sometimes these situations happen and you have to learn to accept them. It was one of the most exciting tournaments I've ever played. Thank you for the support and to the people who came. Thanks also to the referees and the people who work behind the scenes. See you next year...hoping to be in better shape."

(Unioneonline)