Carlos Alcaraz, of Spain, shakes the hand of Alexander Zverev, of Germany, after winning during the Cincinnati Open in Mason on Aug. 16, 2025.

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‘Feeling Bad for Sascha’ – Carlos Alcaraz Pens Touching Message for Alexander Zverev After Cincinnati Open 2025 Win

Spaniard set to face Sinner in the Cincinnati Open final.

Carlos Alcaraz, of Spain, shakes the hand of Alexander Zverev, of Germany, after winning during the Cincinnati Open in Mason on Aug. 16, 2025.

In the battle between the World No. 2 and No. 3, Carlos Alcaraz downed Alexander Zverev in the 2025 Cincinnati Open semifinal on Saturday. The Spaniard, who had to avoid focusing on the fact that his opponent was clearly unwell, produced an assured 6-4 6-3 win in the final four contest. The victory sets up a mouth-watering summit clash against World No. 1 and defending champion Jannik Sinner.

The opening set was full of high intensity rallies, with Alcaraz calling the shots when it mattered most. He saved two break points very early on, before decoding the Zverev serve to grab the opener in style. As the match progressed, the 28-year-old German felt the hot conditions catching up to him. Despite taking a medical timeout in the second set, it was too little too late for ‘Sascha’.

The win completes a seventh consecutive finals entry for the 22-year-old. It will be his ninth Masters-1000 final, and first on hard courts since Alcaraz lifted the Indian Wells trophy last year. The five-time Grand Slam winner is now the third youngest player to reach nine Masters finals – after Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. Alcaraz has a superior 8-5 record against Sinner; however, past statistics will hold minimal importance against the best player in the world.

Carlos Alcaraz Sends Positive Message to Zverev After Cincinnati SF

Carlos Alcaraz is into his 7th consecutive final.

Monte-Carlo W
Barcelona F
Rome W
Roland Garros W
Queen's Club W
Wimbledon F
Cincinnati ?

6th player in this century to reach at least 7 consecutive finals. The other 6? Big Four and Sinner. pic.twitter.com/kzth9kVZNS
— José Morgado (@josemorgado) August 17, 2025

Alcaraz began breaking down Zverev’s game by targeting his forehand with top-spin heavy shots. He was pushing the three-time major finalist far outside the deuce court, before opening up the court with drive half-volleys or drop shots. Despite Zverev being soaked with sweat and fatigue by the end of it, he put up a valiant effort to stay in the duels for the most part. Unfortunately, a lack of energy meant that he couldn’t generate any venom into his shots to trouble the second seed.

After the match, Alcaraz had a wonderful message of encouragement towards Zverev. “Happy for the final,” he penned down on the ATP camera. “But feeling bad for Sascha. Wish you all the best!” Alcaraz spoke about the challenge of facing someone who isn’t at 100%, and also previewed his final against Sinner, after completing the semifinal victory.

Carlos Alcaraz signs the camera for an injured Zverev after beating him in Cincinnati:

“Happy for the final but feeling bad for Sascha ☹️. Wish you all the best.” pic.twitter.com/LnIiAWWMm3
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) August 17, 2025

“All of a sudden, he [Zverev] started to feel bad. And then my focus, I was thinking about how he’s feeling, besides focusing on myself and playing good tennis. It was a really difficult situation for me and I just wish him all the best.” Previewing Monday’s dream encounter, Alcaraz said, “I’m really looking forward to playing against him once again… “I’m ready to take the challenge. I’m ready to see what I did wrong in the last match and try to be better on Monday.”

(Image Credits: Albert Cesare, Imagn Images)

Alexander Zverev

ATP

ATP 1000

Carlos Alcaraz

Cincinnati Open 2025

Jannik Sinner

Tennis

Sankalp Harikrishnan

A passionate sports fan through and through, I am currently pursuing my MA in Global Sports Journalism. I specialise in tennis and football writing at The Playoffs News, and I have prior experience working at EssentiallySports and Sportskeeda. Born and raised in Bengaluru, India, sport was my safe space right from my childhood. After trying my hand at multiple sports and representing my educational institutions in cricket, badminton and table tennis, I found sports media to be my calling.