Coco Gauff’s journey at the Cincinnati Open ended on a bit of a down note in the quarterfinals, as she lost to Jasmine Paolini after a tough three-set match. The American, who was working on getting her game back in shape for the US Open, had a tough time with inconsistency, especially with her forehand and serve, and that really ended up costing her the match. Even though Gauff’s exit was a bummer for American tennis fans, the focus quickly turned to the exciting men’s final featuring world No. 1 Jannik Sinner and world No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz—a rivalry that’s really shaped the 2025 season.
The Cincinnati Open final was gearing up to be another exciting chapter in the Sinner-Alcaraz story, especially after their epic battles at the French Open and Wimbledon earlier this year.
Fans and analysts were really curious to find out if Sinner could keep his impressive 26-match hard-court winning streak going, or if Alcaraz would build some momentum as the US Open approaches. What was meant to be an exciting showdown took a surprising and worrying turn when Sinner, clearly not feeling well, decided to retire just 23 minutes into the match, falling behind 0-5 in the first set.
With all the buzz about Sinner’s situation, Coco Gauff’s ex-coach, Brad Gilbert, shared his thoughts on X, saying, “Hopefully it’s just minor what happened to Sin City.” He really captured the nervous vibe that a lot of individuals in the tennis community are feeling, especially with the US Open just around the corner.
Alcaraz, who took a moment to comfort his rival with a sincere message on the camera lens, writing, “Sorry Jannik,” recognized the tough situation surrounding his win.
Hopefully it’s just minor what happened to Sin City
— Brad Gilbert (@bgtennisnation) August 18, 2025
Gilbert’s comment really fueled the chatter about whether Sinner’s problem is just a short-term illness or something more serious that might throw a wrench in his Grand Slam plans. And this concern was quickly felt throughout the tennis community.
This is a developing report…
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