After Jannik Sinner was forced to retire from the Cincinnati Open final against Carlos Alcaraz after just 23 minutes, one tennis star made their disgruntled feelings known
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina slammed organisers of the Cincinnati Open after Jannik Sinner was forced to retire with injury from his final against Carlos Alcaraz. Davidovic Fokina, 26, specifically hit out at the new scheduling of the competition, which has proven to be a contentious topic.
With Alcaraz beating Sinner in the French Open, before the Italian got his revenge in the Wimbledon final, the world’s top two male tennis stars looked set for another battle in Monday’s showdown.
However, Sinner failed to claim a single game and was compelled to withdraw after merely 23 minutes with Alcaraz commanding a 5-0 advantage in the first set. The top seed revealed he had been feeling sick since the day before, but wanted to try and compete against the Spaniard.
He was the latest in a long list of players who have been forced to abandon matches mid-way through in Cincinnati, prompting Davidovich Fokina to demand “change,” reports the Express.
The Masters 1000 tournaments in Canada and Cincinnati were expanded this year and are now boasting 96-player singles draws, which stretch across 12 days each. The revised schedules meant the Canadian Open finals took place on a Thursday, whilst the championship matches in Cincinnati were arranged for Monday.
The men’s singles final between Sinner and Alcaraz began at 3pm local time, whilst the women’s final between Iga Swiatek and Jasmine Paolini was given a start time of no earlier than 6pm. Tennis finals, particularly for major tournaments, typically occur on a Sunday.
There was already criticism from supporters who questioned why a blockbuster encounter like Sinner versus Alcaraz had been positioned in the middle of a working day. When the match eventually concluded after just five games, world No. 18 Davidovich Fokina openly condemned organisers for the scheduling.
He tweeted: “A Monday final at 3pm in August in Cincinnati, after the whole Toronto-Cincinnati swing, with so many retirements and players dead tired… something needs to change.”
After the match, Sinner apologised to the fans in the Lindner Family Tennis Centre for his early retirement. The Wimbledon champion said: “I’m super sorry to disappoint you. From yesterday I didn’t feel great, I thought I would improve but it came up worse.
“I tried to come out, to make it at least a small match, but I couldn’t handle more. I am very sorry for all of you. I know that maybe some of you, on a Monday, you had to work or do something else, so I’m really sorry.”
The punishing conditions in Cincinnati have dominated discussions throughout the competition. Certain matches were suspended when spectators in the stands fell ill, and competitors have also battled against the scorching temperatures.
Arthur Rinderknech crumpled during his third-round clash with Felix Auger-Aliassime and subsequently withdrew. In the men’s singles main draw, Luciano Darderi, Camilo Ugo Carabelli, Jakub Mensik, Frances Tiafoe, Karen Khachanov, and Davidovich Fokina himself all pulled out mid-match.
The latter was ahead of teenage sensation Joao Fonseca by a set and 4-0 when he suddenly appeared unwell. The youngster then claimed five consecutive games and the Spaniard abandoned the match, leading 7-6 4-5. He also withdrew from his encounter at the recent Canadian Open.