Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are set to meet once again in a tour-level final in pursuit of the Cincinnati Open title.
The two stars clashed in championship matches at the Italian Open, Roland Garros, and Wimbledon earlier this summer, where Sinner clinched his first title at the All England Club.
Alcaraz, who leads the head-to-head, has enjoyed a much better campaign in Cincinnati this year after his opening-round exit in 2024, and is seeking to hoist an eighth ATP Masters 1000 crown.
Defending champion Sinner, on the other hand, is looking to defend all 1000 points in the hope of going back-to-back at the event.
Carlos Alcaraz speaks ahead of the Cincinnati Open final
The final will be slightly different from previous years, being played on a Monday rather than a Sunday as it typically would be.
Before the season, it was announced that the Canadian Open and the Cincinnati Open would become 12-day events, extending the schedules of the US Open tune-up tournaments.
The changes saw the women’s and men’s finals in Montreal and Toronto, respectively, both played on a Thursday night.
When asked how he feels about the title bout being on a Monday, Alcaraz said: “Seeing as I am doing this press conference at 11 pm, I am just glad to have one day to recover!
“But at the same time, it is going to be weird playing a final on a Monday. I am going to feel like what is going on? I don’t know. It’s a different feeling. I love playing the final on Sunday.
“But it’s everything that you have to see in another perspective, because as I say, I am going to have dinner late, I am going to have treatment late, and go to bed late.
“So having that day is going to be much better to be ready for Monday. But at the same time, we are used to seeing a final on Sunday, and it’s going to be weird.”
Carlos Alcaraz’s route to his second Cincinnati Open final
After reaching the final in Cincinnati in 2023, Alcaraz bowed out in his first match at the Masters 1000 competition in 2024, losing to Gael Monfils.
This year, however, he has enjoyed a much-improved campaign, which he kicked off with a second-round win against Damir Dzumhur.
| Round | Opponent |
|---|---|
| Final | Jannik Sinner |
| Semifinal | Alexander Zverev (W) |
| Quarterfinal | Andrey Rublev (W) |
| Fourth Round | Luca Nardi (W) |
| Third Round | Hamad Medjedovic (W) |
| Second Round | Damir Dzumhur (W) |
The Spaniard then conquered Hamad Medjedovic and Luca Nardi in straight sets, before knocking out ninth seed Andrey Rublev.
In the semifinals, Alcaraz defeated an injured Alexander Zverev, winning 6-4, 6-3 to advance to the final.
He will now face Sinner for the 14th time in his career, as their compelling rivalry continues.
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