Sinner lasted just five games before retiring from the Cincinnati Open final against Carlos Alcaraz, with just a week to go before the start of the US Open

It felt like tennis had delivered the perfect script—world No. 1 Jannik Sinner versus world No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz in a Masters 1000 final. Both had torn through the draw in Cincinnati, barely breaking a sweat, setting up the dream clash fans had been waiting for.

Jannik Sinner revealed a past promise to quit tennis by age 23 if not in the top 200 due to financial constraints. He shared this before the US Open, following his Cincinnati Open final retirement against Carlos Alcaraz due to illness.