The Cincinnati Open semifinal match between Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev was full of oddities.
Here are four of them.
- The match was delayed for over 10 minutes after it got underway because a spectator was in medical distress in the stands. It felt like a longer span of time for the fan to get the necessary assistance, and Alcaraz and Zverev spent a few minutes at the net standing together killing time.
- Carlos Alcaraz served three double faults in one game when he averages between one and two in each match.
- Alexander Zverev, before suffering his own medical issue similar to what he felt in the quarterfinal win over Ben Shelton, had a different strategy in this match against Alcaraz. He has a reputation for being stubborn and sticking to the usual plan. However, he was spreading the ball around more evenly to both wings for Alcaraz. Jim Courier said the new game plan was a good one, and he said that it had “Toni Nadal’s fingerprints all over it.” Zverev trained at the Rafael Nadal Academy after feeling deflated at Wimbledon.
- Zverev’s team handed him shoes, and he changed them near the end of the match. What was unusual about this was that Zverev, particularly when not feeling well, did not send a ball person over to get them. He was out of sorts, and the shoe exchange was another example.
Unusual things happen when these guys play, sometimes to the detriment of Zverev. They were part of the infamous bee match at 2024 Indian Wells.
We call it bad luck or what..
But when Zverev starts to getting momentum against Alcaraz in America..
Something suddenly happens.. And game stops to pause on momentum..
In IW… That bee incident.
And today this sick man fallen when Zverev was leading 30-0 on Alcaraz serve… pic.twitter.com/2RDtgyOljp— Vishal❤️ (@Fans4AlexZverev) August 16, 2025
Zverev could have retired, but he really tried to persevere to give the fans more tennis. He has only one mid-match retirement in his career. It was the 2022 Roland Garros semifinal against Rafael Nadal when he turned his ankle and returned to the court with crutches.
JANNIK SINNER. CARLOS ALCARAZ.
Ladies and gentlemen, we are in for a treat 🎭@CincyTennis | #CincyTennis pic.twitter.com/tbSSztiWps
— ATP Tour (@atptour) August 17, 2025
The outcome was unfortunate, but fans will look ahead to the final between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. They traded Grand Slams in Paris and London. Could this be a preview for the US Open final? In the meantime, we hope that Zverev has time to recover and make a big run in New York. He remains the best player on the ATP Tour to not win a Grand Slam, and fans would like to see him have his moment a la Madison Keys at this year’s Australian Open.
