"That's the only mistake he made," Roddick surprised by Alcaraz's behavior after the Cincinnati final

Earlier this week, Carlos Alcaraz won his 8th Masters 1000 title at the Cincinnati tournament. But the enticing final against world number one Jannik Sinner was cut short, as the Italian, feeling ill, had to retire after only five games (5-0 ret.).

Sinner clearly wasn't at his best during the start of the match, making many more unforced errors than usual. Moreover, on his podcast, Andy Roddick criticized the Spaniard for a specific behavior during the final.

"The only mistake Carlos (Alcaraz) made all week was getting too close to Sinner when we could tell he wasn't feeling well. Both players are classy guys, and I love that.

But if I were his coach, I would have told him to walk away and not stay next to him. Don't check on his condition, skip the ceremonial photos, and don't get near him. If he's sick, keep your distance.

The US Open is approaching, and Carlos has reached the final in the last seven tournaments he's played since Miami. He's in incredible form. Let's hope Sinner is healthy enough to defend his title in New York.

If he had caught a virus that lasts four or five days, it wouldn't have been easy for him to physically prepare for this event," Roddick stated, according to comments gathered by Tennis World Italia.