Jannik Sinner struggled physically at the French Open, where he led Juan Manuel Cerundolo 6-3, 6-2, 5-1 before cramps took over and he lost 18 of the final 20 games. But he bounced back in style by defending his Wimbledon title. After skipping the Canadian Open, he was expected to return at the Cincinnati Masters. Now, another setback has arrived. Sinner has withdrawn from Cincinnati despite entering the event, once again raising concerns over his fitness with the US Open fast approaching.

“After consulting with my doctors and my team, I have to announce that I must withdraw from the Cincinnati Masters 1000,” he said in a statement. “My right knee has been giving me trouble, and although we’ve been working hard with my medical team, I have to accept that I’m still not ready to compete.”

Sinner has confirmed a problem with his right knee and is not fit enough to play. With the US Open close, resting and recovering is now the priority. Missing Cincinnati will still sting. Sinner reached the final last year against Carlos Alcaraz but retired after falling 5-0 behind due to a viral illness.

Moreover, Sinner had lifted the title in Cincinnati in 2024 by defeating Frances Tiafoe in the final. It is an event where he has produced great results in the last few years and was expected to continue his red-hot form this season as well.

That run ends here. Sinner is out of Cincinnati, and the bigger concern is now the US Open. With physical issues already troubling him this season, another setback this close to New York raises fresh doubts over his fitness.

The clearest example came at the French Open. Sinner led Juan Manuel Cerundolo by two sets before his body gave way, and the match quickly slipped from his control. Sinner then skipped the grass-court warm-up events before Wimbledon, a decision that paid off as he defended his title. But less than a month later, fitness concerns have surfaced again despite the extended break.

This withdrawal will see Sinner lose a massive number of points in the rankings. He will drop 650 points, as he had reached the final last year. But this loss won’t have any effect on his position at the top. The 24-year-old currently has a 5,290-point lead over World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz. So, it is highly likely that Sinner will maintain the spot for the coming months.

Speaking of Alcaraz, Sinner is not the only major name missing Cincinnati. While his withdrawal is a big blow to the tournament, several headline players have already pulled out from both the ATP and WTA sides.

Carlos Alcaraz, Jasmine Paolini and more have already withdrawn from the Cincinnati Masters

The defending champion, Carlos Alcaraz, also won’t be present at the event this year. He has still not recovered fully from the wrist injury that he sustained in April. The Spaniard was expected to make his much-awaited return in Cincinnati, but he will remain on the sidelines. There are also serious doubts over his participation in the US Open.

Alexander Bublik is another headline player who has pulled out of the Cincinnati Masters. But his withdrawal doesn’t come as much of a surprise, as he hasn’t played in the tournament since 2021. This is because his son’s birthday falls during the event, and he prefers celebrating it with him in person.

Holger Rune has also pulled out of the Cincinnati Masters. The Dane has been out of action since October of 2025 due to an Achilles injury. Though he is expected to be in the final stages of his recovery, it will still take time for him to regain full fitness.

Jasmine Paolini is the most notable player to withdraw from the WTA side. She is still recovering from a lingering foot injury and has taken this decision so that she can regain full fitness by the time the US Open rolls in. Having reached the final in Cincinnati last year, Paolini will definitely be gutted to miss out this year.

Victoria Mboko will also not be present at the Cincinnati Masters. She is yet to recover from the knee injury that she had picked up at the HSBC Championships. This same injury had resulted in her withdrawing from Wimbledon and her home event in Toronto. It won’t be wrong to say that the chances of her playing at the US Open are looking quite bleak.

Finally, Emma Raducanu will not be playing in Cincinnati either. She is still recovering from her stress fracture in the right lower leg. This is the same setback that had led to her withdrawal from Wimbledon. She has yet to make a competitive appearance since the HSBC Championships that were held in June.

For Sinner, Cincinnati is no longer the main concern. The real test is whether his right knee recovers in time for the US Open, where he will arrive short on hard-court match play and under fresh fitness scrutiny.