Alcaraz Joins Sinner in Cincinnati Masters 1000 Final

After Jannik Sinner secured his spot in the final at the expense of Terence Atmane, it was time for the second semifinal of the Cincinnati Masters 1000 between Alexander Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz.

The German leads their head-to-head 6-5 against the Spaniard but had raised concerns about his physical condition after his win over Ben Shelton the previous day. In fact, before the match, Zverev had to cut his practice short due to back pain.

Clearly not at 100% in this match, Zverev—who could barely move in the second set—nevertheless refused to retire. Alcaraz, who had an early break in the second set, then committed four double faults in the same game, allowing the world No. 3 to break back.

But in the end, the battle was already over, and the Spaniard won the last four games against a player clearly struggling physically, who was even forced to leave the court for a few minutes.

Alcaraz ultimately triumphed 6-4, 6-3 in 1 hour and 36 minutes, securing his second final in Cincinnati after the one he played and lost against Novak Djokovic two years ago. To claim his eighth Masters 1000 title, he will have to overcome his great Italian rival, whom he will face for the fourth time this year.

This will be their fifth consecutive final showdown, following their clashes in Beijing 2024, Rome 2025, Roland-Garros 2025 (won by Alcaraz), and Wimbledon 2025 (won by Sinner).

Additionally, Alcaraz has now reached his seventh consecutive ATP Tour final (Monte-Carlo, Barcelona, Rome, Roland-Garros, Queen’s, Wimbledon, and now Cincinnati) since his early exit in Miami against David Goffin.

Alcaraz and Sinner will now meet for the 14th time (currently 8-5 in Alcaraz’s favor), confirming that they are indeed the two best players in the world at the moment.