Jannik Sinner could be stripped of second title if he loses to Carlos Alcaraz at US Open

Jannik Sinner risks losing a second title if he succumbs to Carlos Alcaraz at the US Open.

Sinner and Alcaraz are the No.1 and No.2 seeds respectively at this year's US Open.

The top two tennis players in the world were involved in the final of the Cincinnati Open on Monday ahead of potentially meeting each other in Flushing Meadows.

But the showdown ended prematurely as Sinner retired due to an illness, with Alejandro Davidovich Fokina calling for a major change in the wake of the player's withdrawal.

"I’m super, super sorry to disappoint you," he told the fans during the trophy ceremony. "From yesterday I didn’t feel great. I thought that I would improve during the night, but it came up worse. I tried to come out, tried to make it at least a small match, but I couldn’t handle more, so I’m very sorry."

Carlos Alcarez consoles Jannik Sinner after he retires at the Cincinnati Open final. Image: Getty

Alcaraz said: "This is not the way that I want to win trophies. I just have to say sorry, I can understand how you must feel now. As I said many times, you are a true champion and I am sure from these situations, you are going to come back even stronger, as you always do. That’s what true champions do."

Sinner will be hoping for a swift recovery as he aims to defend his US Open title.

Not to mention his world number one status, with the Spaniard closing in on the top ranking as he remains the Italian's biggest rival for the US Open.

The pair can only meet in the final in New York, having met each other in the final of this year's Wimbledon - with Sinner beating Alcaraz 4–6, 6–4, 6–4, 6–4.

So, if Alvarez beats Sinner at the US Open, then he will not only snatch the championship away from his rival but could also grab the world number one ranking.

Having triumphed at the Cincinnati Open, he holds the upper hand.

Jannik Sinner beat Carlos Alcaraz in this year's Wimbledon final. Image: Getty

Sinner must reach at the least the third round and must advance farther than Alcaraz to keep his world number one spot.

The 24-year-old, a four-time Grand Slam winner, has spent the last 62 weeks at the top after replacing Novak Djokovic following the 2024 French Open, becoming the first Italian to achieve the feat.

As for Alcaraz, he last topped the rankings in September 2023 and he has bounced between second and third in the past two years.