It’s already been over 90 days since Jannik Sinner lifted the Wimbledon title after defeating Alexander Zverev in the final. At that time, no one could have expected that the Italian would be forced to miss the next three Masters 1000 events in a row, but that is exactly what has happened. Having previously withdrawn from both the Canadian Open and the Cincinnati Masters, Sinner has now announced that he won’t be featuring in Shanghai either.

“Unfortunately, I won’t be able to play at the Rolex Shanghai Masters this year as I had hoped,” he wrote on an Instagram story. “I always enjoy playing in front of the Shanghai fans, and I’m very sorry that I won’t be able to do so next week. Thank you for all your support. I’m looking forward to seeing you again next year.”

This announcement comes just days after Sinner issued a public apology for missing the China Open in Beijing. He has been absent for so long due to a lingering right knee issue. This problem has already resulted in him withdrawing from several important tournaments, including the US Open.

The withdrawal from the Shanghai Masters means that Sinner will not be playing any tournaments in the Asian swing. His main aim at the moment will be to recover before the Paris Masters, which will begin on November 2 and will be the final Masters 1000 event of the season.

Luckily for Sinner, he doesn’t have a lot of points to defend at the Shanghai Masters. This is because he was eliminated in the Round of 32 last year. But the situation can get much worse for him if he doesn’t play either the Vienna Open or the Paris Masters. Having won both tournaments last year, he will drop 500 and 1000 points, respectively, if he misses the events.

Sinner couldn’t have suffered the injury at a worse time, as Alexander Zverev is waiting in the wings to dethrone him in the rankings. The latter has elevated his form significantly in the last few weeks. Not only did he win the US Open, but also played a key role in Team Europe’s triumph against Team World at the Laver Cup. The World No. 1 currently has 11,000 points under his belt, while Zverev is right behind him at 9,630 points. There is a 1,370-point gap between the two.

Now, while the gap may look big at first glance, Zverev isn’t skipping tournaments like Sinner and can close it down quickly. Looking at his current form, Zverev is very well capable of making deep runs in both the China Open and Shanghai Masters.

This could see him come very close to Sinner’s points tally. If the Italian continues to pull out of tournaments in the European swing as well, then Zverev could have the opportunity to become World No. 1 for the first time ever, and that too before the ATP Finals. Unlike Sinner, Zverev is participating in the China Open and has also made a positive start to his campaign.

Alexander Zverev defeats Cameron Norrie in straight sets at the China Open

Despite being handed a tricky opponent in the first match itself, Zverev showcased his quality and won 7-6, 6-4. The match was not a cakewalk by any means, as both players were very strong with their serves.

There was only one break of serve during the match, and it was claimed by Zverev. Norrie created three break-point opportunities, but wasn’t able to convert any of them. The first set was pretty evenly matched and was settled in a tiebreaker.

But Zverev ran away with the set in the breaker, winning it 7-1. He got the lone break in the second set, which was enough for him to race to victory. Zverev will be taking on local hero Shang Juncheng in the next round.

Having been eliminated from the quarterfinals of the China Open last year, Zverev doesn’t have a lot of points to defend and won’t be under huge pressure. Being the highest-ranked player in the tournament, he is one of the main contenders for the title in Beijing.