Cincinnati, Alcaraz in the final against Sinner

The Spaniard beats Zverev in the semifinals

Carlos Alcaraz reached the Cincinnati Masters 1000 final. The Spaniard, seeded second, defeated German Alex Zverev, seeded second, 6-4, 6-3, in the semifinals. In the final on Monday, August 18, the Spaniard will face Italian Jannik Sinner, world number one, who is coming off a two-set victory over Frenchman Terence Atmane.

Zverev, after his physical problems in the quarterfinals against Ben Shelton, faded early in the second set. Alcaraz shifted gears midway through the first set, breaking the tiebreaker and taking control of the match. Down 1-2 at the start of the second set, Zverev needed the intervention of a physiotherapist during a lengthy medical timeout. The German was effectively out of the match, and Alcaraz closed it out without a problem.

The 22-year-old Spaniard is preparing to play his ninth Masters 1000 final after triumphing this year in Monte Carlo and Rome. The Cincinnati final will be his 14th meeting with Sinner. Alcaraz leads 8-5 in previous meetings. The Italian prevailed in their last meeting, the Wimbledon final, while the Spaniard prevailed in the 2025 finals in Rome and Roland Garros.