Carlos Alcaraz Wins Cincinnati Open, Jannik Sinner Retires with Illness Before US Open

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.

The win for Alcaraz comes before next week's US Open.

Alcaraz posted his best wishes toward Sinner on social media after the win.

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

Alcaraz beat Alexander Zverev 6-4, 6-3 in the semifinal on Sunday to advance to the final. Zverev was also dealing with an ailment as Alcaraz cruised to a win.

“It’s never easy playing against someone you know is not 100 percent,” Carlos Alcaraz said of Zverev after the match.

Sinner advanced to the final after beating Terence Atmane 7-6 (4), 6-2 on Sunday, ending Atmane's surprise run at the Cincinnati Open.

Alcaraz and Sinner have delivered some electric finals this year, but Monday's unfortunately didn't live up to the excitement fans have grown accustomed to.

They met in the Italian Open final earlier this year, where Alcaraz won in straight sets. In June, the two faced off in their first major final at the French Open, and the five-hour and 20-minute-long match didn't disappoint as Alcaraz left with a win.

Sinner bounced back from the Roland Garros loss with a win over Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final.

While Monday's match was a bit of a disappointment, it wouldn't be surprising to see the two stars meet again in the US Open final. Both have won the tournament before, but Sinner is looking to make it back-to-back victories this year.