“What a Joke”- Cincinnati Masters Gets Slammed by Fans Due to Scheduling Decision Involving Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz

Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have set up a blockbuster final clash this season, this time at the Cincinnati Masters. The upcoming meeting will be a rematch of this year’s finals in Rome, Paris, and London.

In their last match, in the Wimbledon final, Sinner came from a set down to spoil Alcaraz’s three-peat dream, winning his career’s first title at SW19 as well as breaking the losing streak against the Spaniard. It was his first win over the five-time Grand Slam champion after five consecutive defeats.

Sinner has a chance to tie the win-loss record to 2-2 (this season) against Alcaraz if he defends his title. In their overall head-to-head record, Sinner trails 5-8. He has never won a Masters 1000 title for a consecutive time, and beating the World No.2 will make him the first man since Roger Federer (2014-2015) to defend the Cincinnati title.

Before this season, Alcaraz had played the Cincinnati final, back in 2023, but he lost the match in three sets to Novak Djokovic. Alcaraz is ahead when it comes to their Masters 1000 tally, reaching eight finals (before the Cincinnati Open) and winning seven titles, which also included this year’s Italian Open and the Monte Carlo Masters.

Prior to this season, Sinner had played seven finals and won four times, the last of which was the 2024 Shanghai Masters he clinched by beating Djokovic. If he wins, it will be his third title of the season following his triumph at the Australian Open and Wimbledon.

The tennis world eagerly waits for a clash between the World No.1 and World No.2, but some fans just wanted them to play on a different day. Sinner will take on Alcaraz at 3 pm local time on Monday (August 18) instead of Sunday evening.

Fans slam the Cincinnati Masters for scheduling Carlos Alcaraz-Jannik Sinner clash on Monday afternoon

Not just fans, even Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner feel weird playing a final on Monday. The scheduling problem has stemmed from ATP’s decision to turn the Canadian Open and the Cincinnati Masters into 12-day events each. Because of this, the Canadian Open final was held on Thursday. And a Sinner-Alcaraz final on a workday afternoon was not what the fans expected from a Masters 1000 tournament.

Check how they reacted:

Tennis does lots of horrendous scheduling things but putting a Sinner-Alcaraz big final on a Monday afternoon might be the worst ever.

They’ve even done it at a tournament where you can’t see the ball properly during the day!

— Oscar (@SlidingBackhand) August 18, 2025

Also at 3pm?

The tournament is nearly two weeks long, we get the two best players in the world and the time for the match is 3pm on a non-holiday Monday? Outrageous.

I’m going to qualifying tomorrow and figured I’d get back and time to watch a night final… https://t.co/ucrCWuTpeS

— Sinner Alcaraz (@SinnerAlcaraz) August 17, 2025

Tennis has a major scheduling problem

In what world should a 10 day tourney finish with both finals on a Monday, and out of prime time

3pm on a work day for Alcaraz Sinner…

— The Big Three (@Big3Tennis) August 18, 2025

Having Alcaraz vs Sinner in a masters 1000 final at 3pm local time on a Monday afternoon us beyond stupid. If you're set on an afternoon title just have the tournament end on Sunday. If you'd rather drag it out to Monday just play the two finals at night.

— 3rd Set Sweat Tennis (@3rdSetSweat) August 17, 2025

Sinner/Alcaraz at 3pm on a Monday is an injustice to the hard working American people

— big larry (@tylerjmunson) August 17, 2025

Why on earth is Sinner / Alcaraz on at 3pm today lmao.

— BeatinTheBookie.com®️ (@BeatinTheBookie) August 18, 2025

I feel you—scheduling a Sinner-Alcaraz final at 3 PM on a Monday afternoon is wild! Like, who thought a workday slot for the two best players in the world was the move?

— Kelly Holmes (@kell71191) August 18, 2025

And the final will be at 3pm on a Monday. What a joke 🤡

— Charlie Clements (@c_clements1055) August 17, 2025

I’m not even that upset about the Monday of it all. But 3 pm???

— Kyle Weeks (@kyleweeks) August 17, 2025

Alcaraz Sinner at 3pm on a Monday?? 🤣🤣 What an actual joke @CincyTennis

— scott (@seisland101) August 18, 2025

Because of the schedule, it’s uncertain whether Sinner and Alcaraz would participate in the mixed doubles. Sinner, after Emma Navarro’s withdrawal, re-paired with Katerina Siniakova, and they will lock horns with Alexander Zverev and Belinda Bencic. Alcaraz and his mixed doubles partner Emma Raducanu will meet first seeds Jessica Pegula and Jack Draper. Their first-round matches are scheduled around 3 pm ET on Tuesday.

Rennae Stubbs on the Cincinnati Masters final between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz

Serena Williams’ former coach, Rennae Stubbs, also joined the discussion around the scheduling of the Cincinnati Masters and censured the tournament for making Sinner and Alcaraz play on a non-holiday Monday. What she fears the most is the withdrawal of these two from the US Open mixed doubles.

A Monday final is just ABSOLUTELY BONKERS! @atptour @WTA I’m sure the @usopen isnt happy about it either. Detracting from fan week & possibly the mixed doubles tournament they’ve put a lot of money into & that fans have paid to see with those names. Tennis really needs a commish!

Rennae Stubbs wrote on X

Check out her post here:

A Monday final is just ABSOLUTELY BONKERS! @atptour @WTA I’m sure the @usopen isnt happy about it either. Detracting from fan week & possibly the mixed doubles tournament they’ve put a lot of money into & that fans have paid to see with those names. Tennis really needs a commish!

— Rennae Stubbs ♈️ (@rennaestubbs) August 17, 2025

While the four-time Grand Slam champion is bidding to win his third title of the season, Alcaraz has so far added five titles to his trophy cabinet. He will also be playing his eighth final of the season on Monday.

Also read: (Video) Iga Swiatek Gets Into an Awkward Confrontation With Interviewer After Reaching Cincinnati Open Final