Carlos Alcaraz's heartfelt apology to Jannik Sinner after his retirement in Cincinnati: "I'm sorry, and I hope you come back stronger."

Jannik Sinner 's withdrawal In the middle of the Cincinnati Masters 1000 final, it was a real shock for the Italian, tennis fans... and Carlos Alcaraz , too . The Murcian added the championship trophy to his collection, but not in the way he would have liked.

"It's not the way I like to win matches or lift a trophy, so the first thing is to apologize," Alcaraz said after receiving the award, which had eluded him in 2023 against Djokovic.

The Murcian was crowned champion after Sinner retired, with the score at 5-0 and just 23 minutes into the match . "I know and fully understand how you may be feeling right now, but there's nothing I can tell you that you don't already know. I've said it many times: you are a true champion ," said Alcaraz, addressing the Italian.

"I'm convinced that, as you always do, you'll come back from this situation even stronger. That's what true champions do, and you are one. So I'm sorry, and I wish you a stronger comeback ," he added.

Alcaraz, however, admitted that he had his sights set on the Cincinnati tournament ever since his 2023 final defeat to Djokovic, a chapter he closes with his victory on Monday. "I just wanted to win this tournament. In 2023, I lost the final of this tournament, and from that moment on, I really wanted to lift this trophy ," he said.

The Cincinnati Open is Alcaraz's sixth tournament win this year, following Rotterdam, Monte Carlo, Rome, Roland Garros, and Queen's. He also won the Rome and Roland Garros tournaments against Sinner, against whom the Murcian only lost the Wimbledon final.