Carlos Alcaraz has returned to the top position promptly.
In 2023, the Spanish athlete was emotionally overwhelmed at the ATP Masters 1000 event after missing a championship point and ultimately losing to Novak Djokovic in a highly memorable final. On Monday, Alcaraz overcame those setbacks by winning the tournament in Ohio.
“I’m just really, really happy to be able to leave with the trophy,” Alcaraz said in his post-match press conference. “Since I lost that final in 2023, I wanted this trophy really, really badly. I’m just really proud and happy to be able to lift it.”
Alcaraz advanced to his sixth title of 2025, the most on the tour that year, after dropping only two sets in six matches. His victory was confirmed when his top competitor, Jannik Sinner, was unable to continue due to illness, forcing a retirement at 0-5 in the first set of the championship match.
Alcaraz promptly offered support to Sinner, who appeared visibly emotional as he expressed his apologies to the spectators at the Lindner Family Tennis Center. The two players will now travel to New York for the US Open, where their competition for the top position in the PIF ATP Rankings remains highly competitive.
Incumbent No. 1 Sinner, the defending champion at Flushing Meadows, will have a 50-point lead in the PIF ATP Live Rankings once their points from the 2024 US Open are removed. Over the past several Grand Slam events, Sinner and Alcaraz have alternated victories, with their recent wins dating back to Sinner’s first major title at the 2024 Australian Open.
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