Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner made the exact same decision at Cincinnati Open just hours apart from each other, one that Rafael Nadal famously did at the Italian Open two years ago. In all three cases, it came to happen after wins, easy in case of the retired Spaniard but hard-fought in Alcaraz and Sinner’s case.
At Rome in 2022, Nadal beat John Isner 6-3, 6-1 in the Round of 32 and immediately gestured to his team to book a court for practice, indicating that he had not been tested enough in the match.
Meanwhile, in Cincinnati, Alcaraz took on Damir Dzumhur and won 6-1, 2-6, 6-3 in a thrilling battle, following which he told his team that he wanted to work on his game even more. Just hours after, he was seen on the practice courts at the ATP 1000 tournament.
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On the other hand, Sinner faced Gabriel Diallo 6-2, 7-6(6), a win that was harder to get than it sounded on paper. Like Alcaraz, the World No. 1 gestured to his team that he wanted to move to the practice courts and was later spotted working on his serves.
Sinner and Alcaraz are the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds at the tournament respectively, and can only meet in the final. The two previously met at the final at Wimbledon, where Sinner prevailed in straight sets. Before that, they faced off in the final of the French Open, where Alcaraz overturned a two-set deficit to win in five sets.
What next for Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner at Cincinnati Open?
Up next, Carlos Alcaraz will take on Hamad Medjedovic at the Cincinnati Open in the Round of 32. Last year, the Spaniard lost unexpectedly in the second round, going out to Gael Monfils. This time around, the World No. 2 is likely to face Andrey Rublev or Reilly Opelka in the quarterfinals.
Meanwhile, Jannik Sinner is the defending champion at the tournament this year, having defeated Frances Tiafoe in the final in 2024. Up next, he will take on Adrian Mannarino in the fourth round. Should he go through to the quarterfinals, he will likely face Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime next.
Sinner and Alcaraz will both be in action next at the US Open, where Sinner is once again the defending champion. Alcaraz is a former champion at the event, having won the 2022 title at Flushing Meadows for his maiden Grand Slam.
