"This is truly stupid" - After Jannik Sinner's retirement vs Alcaraz, fans accuse Cincinnati Open & ATP of jeopardizing player health with schedule

World No.1 Jannik Sinner, withdrew from the final of the 2025 Cincinnati Open due to illness, subsequently giving the win to World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz. Sinner's walkover thereafter garnered reactions from the fans who accused the tournament and the organisation for compromising the health of the players due to the schedule.

In his current season, Sinner defended his Australian Open title after defeating Alexander Zverev in the final in straight sets. He then clinched the 2025 Wimbledon Championship in men's singles. Meanwhile, Alcaraz has won six titles this year, including the French Open where he beat Sinner in the final.

Due to illness, Sinner only played a single set and took two breaks, and applied ice to his head during the first changeover. After briefly talking with his trainer, the Italian star decided to withdraw. The anticlimactic conclusion of the 2025 Cincinnati Open final garnered reactions from the fans via r/Tennis' Reddit post, with one of them mentioning:

"Why not make the final in the evening? This is truly stupid by the organizers."

Another fan added,

"Is Cinci gonna learn from this?"

Considering the tournament, the next fan wrote,

"The tourny took out fans and players. It was annoying to watch"

Here are some of the other fan reactions to Sinner's walkover due to illness:

"I hope the players keep retiring especially in the finals. F**k the ATP and WTA. Make these schedules conducive to the players’ wellbeing" wrote another.

"Big L for the tournament. Carlos with 2 wins in a row because of illness. Playing in this conditions is a joke…" added another fan.

Screenshot of r/Tennis' Reddit post featuring fans' comments | Source: Reddit/r/tennis

Jannik Sinner has also withdrawn from the 2025 US Open Mixed Doubles tournament as per The Athletic. He was set to play with Katerina Siniakova, the 10-time Major champion in women's doubles.

---

Jannik Sinner addresses the audience at the 2025 Cincinnati Open final

Jannik Sinner at TENNIS: AUG 18 Cincinnati Open - Source: Getty

Jannik Sinner addressed the crowd after choosing to retire during the first set due to illness. He reflected his disappointment and apologised to all the individuals.

"I'm super sorry to disappoint you. From yesterday I didn't feel great, I thought I would improve but it came up worse. I tried to come out, to make it at least a small match, but I couldn't handle more. I am very sorry for all of you. I know that maybe some of you, on a Monday, you had to work or do something else," he shared via BBC.

Afterwards, an exhausted Sinner was consoled by the title winner Carlos Alcaraz, who also wrote 'Sorry Jannik' on the camera lens.