Fresh off a four-set win over Carlos Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final, Jannik Sinner was clearly not himself on Monday in a rematch of the rivals and the top two players in the world.
Sinner retired with apparent illness in the first set of Monday's Cincinnati Open final against Alcaraz after digging a 5-0 deficit. Sinner remained on the court for the trophy ceremony and addressed his condition while speaking with the crowd. He didn't offer specifics, but said that he "didn't feel great."
"I'm super super sorry to disappoint you," Sinner said. "From yesterday, I didn’t feel great. I thought that I would improve during the night, but it came up worse.
"I tried to come out, tried to make it at least a small match. But I couldn't handle more."
Sinner's retirement arrives days ahead of the start of the US Open. First-round matches are scheduled to start next Monday.
Sinner is the defending US Open champion and is in search of his third Grand Slam victory this year after winning Wimbledon and the Australian Open. His early retirement on Monday raises obvious concerns about his condition to defend his title.
This story will be updated.
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