August 19, 2025

Sinner was sick and the organizers of Cincinnati whistle the ears

It was all set for a final with the bows, the umpteenth of a saga – the one with Carlos Alcaraz – which is only postponed a few weeks. The twenty minutes shock of Cincinnati, with Jannik Sinner with pendant, will be forgotten quickly by the fans of the blue champion.

Impossible to fight like this

The fresh winner of Wimbledon – neo 24 years old – was sick. In a sport where you must always be 100% to compete at high levels, it was impossible to fight in those conditions with the Spaniard. He entered the field only in order not to put the organizers of the American tournament in difficulty, who instead invented them all, to this tour, to make the task of tennis players more difficult, forced to play (too much) in the hottest hours.

The Farorsa final

An address, the one held in Ohio, convenient for European televisions, less for athletes. Already the attitude of Sasha Zverev in the semifinal – always with Alcaraz, Nadal’s heir also in the ability to stand the heat – will have caused some whistle in the ears of the top of Cincinnati: now also the Finalina Farsa, with a trembling Sinner.

Eight retreats in the men’s scoreboard: an exaggerated number. “One of the hottest tournament we played”, one of the hottest tournaments where he played: the South Tyrolean was the usual Christian Democratic and politically correct champion. He knows better than everyone how the world works. And he won’t even argue against the “mixed double” organized in New York as an appetizer of the US Open. On the other hand, there are rich prizes and cotillons for everyone. In Cincinnati he did as Cincinnato: he retired. Novak Djokovic, a weather bulletin in hand, preferred to give up and present himself directly in the Big Apple, jumping this American “oven” that adds nothing to his career.

An unforgettable 2025

The sad appearance in the final does not ruin Sinner’s unforgettable summer 2025. A season from Russian mountains for the number 1 of the ranking. From the sports “drama” of Paris to the historic first blue victory in Wimbledon. In the middle, so much gossip and many dietrologies. From the polishing with the elbow oil of his Ferrari to the last “flame” that is credited, passing through the stroke of the reinstatement in his staff of Umberto Ferrara, the athletic trainer who followed him before the “Clostebol case”, the ointment that cost dearly, especially at the media level, in addition to the disqualification for three months from the game fields.

Just the Ferrara affair shows, if there had still been needed, Sinner’s “Montanaro” spirit. One willing to go on his way, with his beliefs. A little influenced from the outside, from the comments of the public and the world of tennis. An athlete capable of liquidating all the controversies in a few words. The wall that has been built around is inscribable. Cincinnati’s defeat will be only a bad memory: Sinner is also human and has his days “no”, like everyone else. Now turn the page: the struggle with Alcaraz moves to New York and up for grabs there is also the first place in the ATP ranking, with a lot of pressure on, as always.

Alexander Marchall

Alexander Marchall is a distinguished journalist with over 15 years of experience in the realm of international media. A graduate of the Columbia School of Journalism, Alex has a fervent passion for global affairs and geopolitics. Prior to founding The Journal, he contributed his expertise to several leading publications.