Jannik Sinner, the world number one, defeated Frances Tiafoe 7-6(4), 6-2 to win the Cincinnati Open, showcasing his endurance despite recent health issues ahead of the US Open. Sinner, 23, became Cincinnati’s youngest champion since Andy Murray in 2008.
Sinner suffered a hip injury and missed the Paris Olympics due to tonsillitis, but he regained his form in the final. After a close first set, he capitalised on Tiafoe’s errors in the tiebreak to win the opening. Sinner dominated the second set, breaking early and closing off the match with an unreturnable serve.
“It’s important to recover and be ready for New York,” Sinner said, referring to the forthcoming US Open. His victory in Cincinnati is his fifth of the year, demonstrating his ability to win even when not totally fit—an important characteristic as he prepares to face Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz in New York.
Despite the loss, Tiafoe will go up to world number 20, bringing the momentum from his semifinal victory over Holger Rune into the US Open, where he was a 2022 semifinalist.
