July 12, 2026. That was the day on which Jannik Sinner was last seen on a tennis court. The Italian was all smiles, standing with the Wimbledon trophy in his hands, but little did he know that the SW19 final would be his last Tour-level match in 2026. The World No. 1 has struggled with a knee injury since then and has subsequently pulled the plug on his 2026 season, aiming to return in 2027. However, if Marco Panichi’s words are to be believed, fans might have to wait a bit longer to catch a glimpse of the five-time Major champion.
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“I don’t have any more precise information about Jannik. I don’t know exactly what happened, so it’s difficult to give an opinion,” said Panichi on Gonzo Sports. “The fact is that when you are constantly operating close to your limits, the risk of injury is there. Just look at what happens to football teams. I don’t know exactly what happened to Jannik, but it is a condition associated with running on hard surfaces. If that is what he has, it will keep him out for a while. With conditions of this kind, surgery does not offer the same guarantees as it does for other injuries, such as a torn ACL, for example. Almost nobody undergoes surgery for this problem.”
Given that Panichi worked with Sinner for almost a year between 2024 and 2025, he would be better positioned to make a more informed guess about the Italian’s condition. Under Panichi’s guidance, Sinner improved his physicality and endurance, becoming more of a threat in five-set marathons. This development has seen him succeed at Grand Slams over the last three seasons.
If Panichi’s assessment is correct, the injury could also hamper Sinner’s game style. The Italian is one of the fastest runners on the court and has excellent retrieving skills while covering balls from the corners of the court, while also hitting baseline winners on the run, a style that is likely to put more pressure on the knees.
Sinner has officially entered the One Point Slam, which is a fan-week exhibition event ahead of the Australian Open. While his name on the exhibition roster is cause for optimism, Panichi’s words do indicate a longer layoff, especially if the readymade fix of surgery is not applicable in this scenario. Even though he has kept withdrawing from events one after another since Wimbledon, the World No. 1 himself has yet to provide any detailed information about the injury.
Panichi is not the only one who has cast doubt on Sinner’s prompt comeback. Former coach and pro Brad Gilbert also shared his concern about the Italian’s injury, based on a conversation he had with Darren Cahill, Sinner’s coach. Gilbert talked about the knee pain being a recurring theme and how the World No.1’s camp had tried to adopt a workload-management approach. Still, it had not worked as the Italian had to withdraw from high-profile events at Cincinnati, the US Open, and the Shanghai Masters, before eventually ending his season.
For Sinner, his lengthy layoff has seen his closest rival in the rankings, Alexander Zverev, assured of the year-end No. 1 ranking, despite being dominated by the Italian in their recent head-to-head battles.
Jannik Sinner’s No.1 Reign About to End Short of the Century Mark for Now
With Sinner not being available to defend his points from the title runs in Vienna, Paris Masters, and at the ATP Finals last year, Alexander Zverev is all set to become the 30th ATP player to reach the No. 1 ranking. Even though the Italian has been a roadblock for the German, Zverev has lost his last ten matches against Sinner, including the Wimbledon final.
For Sinner, the Italian has been the No.1 for a total of 94 weeks so far. Given that Zverev will take that ranking next month, the Italian’s tally will stop shy of the century mark. Only nine players in history have had the distinction of remaining at No.1 for over 100 weeks, and getting there so early in the career would be the hallmark of Sinner’s consistency on the Tour in the last few seasons.
Even after missing out on almost half of the season’s action this year, Sinner had booked his spot at the ATP Finals after his Wimbledon win. The Italian lost only three matches this year and went on a tremendous 30-match winning streak, during which he won five consecutive Masters 1000 titles.