The US Open has barely started, and the men’s draw is already missing its biggest name. World No. 1 Jannik Sinner pulled out of New York just days before the draw, adding to a growing list of injury withdrawals. But this one comes with a twist. Recent reports suggest Sinner may have been physically capable of playing, meaning his absence was less about being unable to compete and more about deciding the US Open simply was not worth the risk.
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According to reports, Sinner is dealing with extra-articular tendon inflammation in his knee, one of the less serious forms of the injury. That means playing in New York was possible, but he chose not to risk worsening it. He has undergone treatment at J Medical in Turin and will decide when to resume training based on how the knee responds.
The injury typically improves with rest and therapy, which explains Sinner’s decision to stay off the court.
His last match came in the Wimbledon final on July 12, where he won his fifth Grand Slam title and second straight Wimbledon crown. Skipping the Canadian Open initially looked precautionary, but his Cincinnati withdrawal made it clear the knee problem was not going away as quickly as expected.
Sinner then tested the knee on court in Monte Carlo for a couple of days, but the comeback attempt did not go as planned. “We have been back on court in Monte Carlo over the last couple of days and have realized that I still need more time to recover from my right knee issue,” he admitted. That led to his US Open withdrawal on August 21, a decision that was surprising but hardly sudden given the warning signs.
His approach also mirrors how Carlos Alcaraz handled his own wrist injury. Alcaraz skipped two Grand Slams rather than rush back, choosing recovery over chasing immediate results.
There was another risk Sinner could not ignore.
Sinner also had recent reasons not to gamble with his body. At the Australian Open in January, he began cramping against Eliot Spizzirri with the match tied at one set apiece. The extreme-heat rule then suspended play while the roof was closed, giving Sinner around 10 minutes off court to stretch and cool his body down. He eventually won in four sets, but admitted afterward, “I got lucky today.”
Roland Garros brought an even bigger warning. Sinner was serving for the match at 5-1 in the third set against Juan Manuel Cerundolo before his body gave way. He dropped the set and eventually lost 6-2, 6-2, 5-7, 1-6, 1-6 as Cerundolo completed the comeback.
Sinner later admitted, “I struggled, starting to feel very dizzy,” while also saying he was extremely low on energy.
With the US Open out of the picture, it remains to be seen when Sinner will return to court, with a possible return in Asia being on the cards.
Jannik Sinner Can Have a Potential Comeback in Asia
Having skipped the US Open, Sinner‘s potential comeback would be during the Asian hard-court swing.
The Italian is expected to make a comeback at the China Open, as he is the defending champion, and then travel to Shanghai for the Masters.
Beijing would immediately put something on the line for Sinner.
He won the China Open last year after beating Learner Tien 6-2, 6-2 in the final, becoming only the third man after Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal to win multiple titles in Beijing. Shanghai, however, comes with less pressure. Sinner is not the defending champion there, with Valentin Vacherot winning the 2025 title, meaning the Masters could give him another chance to find his rhythm without having a title to protect.
The indoor season is important for Sinner, as the Italian has always thrived at those events and will have a lot of points to defend this year, given that he won titles in Vienna and Bercy and finished it all off with the ATP Finals title in Turin.
As of now, even skipping the US Open is not a threat to Sinner’s No.1 ranking, as the Italian is almost 5000 points ahead of Alexander Zverev in second place.
However, should the Italian miss the Asian swing and the indoor season as well, it would open an opportunity for the likes of Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz, who would have to raise their levels, which is not easy in the latter part of the season.
Given Sinner’s approach of having long-term objectives, the Italian will not risk playing at the ATP Finals in front of his home crowd in Turin.
With 7950 points from the season, the World No.1 has already made the cut for the year-ending tournament and will look to complete a hat-trick of titles in front of the passionate Italian fans.
Sinner has been in sensational form this season, losing only three of his forty-seven matches, winning five Masters 1000 titles along with his Wimbledon triumph.