In a startling turn of events, the world’s top-ranked ATP star has withdrawn from the upcoming US Open. Five-time Major champion Jannik Sinner announced the decision, penning an emotional note informing fans about his condition and how badly he will miss being in New York.

“Even though I have been working hard with my team and my medical staff, we have now had to make the difficult decision that I will not be able to compete at the US Open this year,” said Sinner on X. “We have been back on court in Monte Carlo over the last couple of days and have realised that I still need more time to recover from my right knee issue. I’m obviously very sad and disappointed, as New York has a special place in my heart. I was very much looking forward to coming back and playing in the electric atmosphere in front of the great fans there.”

This decision to withdraw from the US Open has not come out of the blue. The Italian last played a match on July 12 when he competed in the Wimbledon final. Since then, the World No. 1 has skipped the Canadian Open and the Cincinnati Open, citing the same injury before his withdrawal from Cincinnati.

The irony is that news of Sinner’s withdrawal comes on the same day Carlos Alcaraz confirmed his participation in New York. Even though both were injured, confusion regarding the Spaniard’s participation was greater as he had been out of action for four months. Meanwhile, Sinner had already played 47 matches this season, winning six titles.

The withdrawal would mean Sinner losing a large chunk of ranking points as he was the runner-up in New York last year, but given that he is 5000 points ahead of the second-placed Alcaraz, the Italian’s position is safe. However, fans will miss the prospect of a Sincaraz battle in New York, a place where fans got a glimpse of their fierce rivalry for the first time.

The US Open is a special place for Jannik Sinner

Over the last few years, New York has seen some signature Sinner performances, none more so than his five-set loss to Carlos Alcaraz in the 2022 quarterfinal. That match introduced Sincaraz to the tennis world and showed the tennis community that the Italian and the Spaniard were the faces of the next generation of tennis stars.

2023 saw the gritty side of Sinner as the Italian fell in a five-set loss once again against Alexander Zverev. Sinner suffered from cramps in the match and ran out of stamina by the end of the match. However, this loss prompted the Italian to readjust his training procedures, which had an effect when he dominated in 2024 and reached No. 1.

2024 was yet another marquee year in New York for Sinner. It was not only that he won the title, but also that he came into the event at the center of controversy. Just ahead of his New York campaign that year, the World No.1’s failed drug tests came to light, and he faced some stern scrutiny. But being the champion he is, Sinner braved the storm with his usual calm.

Sinner faced Alcaraz in the final of the US Open last year, where he lost to the Spaniard in four sets. However, this match was a stepping stone for the Italian as well, who candidly admitted the changes he needed to make to his game style. Following the loss, Sinner won four events to end the year strong, including a win over Alcaraz in the final of the ATP Finals.

The Italian did evolve his game after the Alcaraz loss, using more drop shots and coming to the net more often, which saw him sweep the clay-court Masters this year and defend the Wimbledon title. His absence in New York will be a big miss for the sport, and one can only hope he will be back on the court soon.