Jannik Sinner aims to return at the Australian Open after a knee injury ended his season

Cristiana Dida

10 November 2026, 13:40

Sport

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Jannik Sinner intends to return to competition at the Australian Open after the injury to his right knee kept him off the court and ended his 2026 season. The Italian made the statement on Tuesday in Milan, in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport.

The former world No. 1 explained that recovery is difficult and that he does not want to rush his return. Sinner said he could take part in a few tournaments before the competition in Melbourne, but he intends to proceed step by step to avoid aggravating his medical problems.

The Italian has not played an official match since July 12, when he defeated Alexander Zverev in the Wimbledon final and won the fifth Grand Slam title of his career. Subsequently, the injury forced him to miss several major tournaments, including the US Open. On October 6, Sinner announced that his season had come to an end.

His absence from the tour also cost him the top spot in the ATP rankings. After 95 consecutive weeks at the top, Sinner was overtaken by Zverev and now occupies second place.

At 25, the athlete says he misses competing, but puts his health first. He added that he would like to continue playing for another 10 or 15 years. Sinner also spoke about his former coach, Darren Cahill, whom he thanked for his contribution to his career.

Context: Sinner missed several major tournaments due to persistent knee problems

Before his comeback plan, Jannik Sinner announced successive withdrawals from the tour due to his knee injury. He said he would not participate in the Shanghai Masters 1000 after the injury had kept him off the court for more than two months, and then confirmed that he was also withdrawing from the 2026 China Open, scheduled to take place in Beijing, once again without providing further details about his medical condition.

In messages shared with the public, Sinner indicated that his knee was not in the desired condition to compete and that the decision to miss competitions was related to his recovery, a decision also supported by medical recommendations.