What the Cincinnati Open tournament director said was the reason behind controversial Monday final earlier this year

The stage is set for the Cincinnati Open men’s final, as Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz will go toe-to-toe once again.

En route to his second consecutive Cincinnati final, Sinner defeated Terence Atmane in straight sets, while Alcaraz overcame an injured Alexander Zverev to advance.

So far this year, the two have met in three finals on the ATP Tour, with two of them coming at Grand Slam events.

Their most recent clash in a championship match was in South West London, where Sinner won a maiden Wimbledon title after beating Alcaraz on Centre Court.

Now, they will face off in a second Masters 1000 final in 2025, but the showdown is set to take place on a Monday; an unusual day for a title bout.

Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images

Bob Moran’s explanation for the Monday final placement in Cincinnati

Before the event began, Cincinnati Open tournament director Bob Moran was asked about the placement of the final by tennis journalist Ben Rothenberg.

Rothenberg said: “One specific last thing on the schedule for Cincinnati: the Monday final, I find it kind of baffling.”

Moran responded: “Yeah, that’s not our choice. Do you think I want a Monday final?”

Rothenberg answered: “I would hope not,” to which Moran confirmed: “No, I do not.”

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He explained it was the choice of the two tours, stating: “They want certain days for breaks for players. The ultimate reason for two weeks was to give players more time off.”

The debut of the 12-day Masters 1000 format in Cincinnati

In 2024, it was announced that the Canadian Open and the Cincinnati Open would change to 12-day events, aligning seven of the nine Masters tournaments with the two-week format.

They followed the expansion of the Italian Open, the Madrid Open, and the Shanghai Masters, all of which were extended in 2023.

The change was seen for the first time in Toronto and Montreal earlier this month, where both the men’s and women’s finals were played on a Thursday night.

Canadian Open tournament director Karl Hale has recently stated ‘we should not be reactive’ to the changes, despite players and fans pushing back on the format.

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