Jannik Sinner withdraws from China Open due to a knee injury

Jannik Sinner, the ATP rankings leader, announced on Friday that he is withdrawing from the 2026 edition of the China Open, scheduled to take place from September 30 to October 6, due to a knee injury from which he is still recovering.

The Italian tennis player has not played a match since his triumph at Wimbledon in July and missed the entire North American hard-court season. In a video message posted on X, Sinner said that his knee “is not in the condition” he wants and that he is not yet ready to compete.

“I’m very sorry that I won’t be able to play in Beijing this year. I will do everything in my power to return to the court as soon as possible,” said the player, who added that he misses the tournament, the fans, and the atmosphere in Beijing.

Sinner won the China Open in 2023 and 2025 and reached the final in 2024. His withdrawal prevents him from defending his title, while the tournament will feature Alexander Zverev, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Flavio Cobolli, Daniil Medvedev, and Alex de Minaur among its participants.

In 2026, Sinner has a record of 44 wins and three losses. He won the ATP Masters 1000 tournaments in Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo, Madrid, and Rome, thereby completing the “Career Golden Masters”.