Jannik Sinner Withdraws from China Open Due to Injury

World No. 1 Jannik Sinner has withdrawn from the ATP 500 tournament in Beijing, where he was the defending champion, saying his injured knee is still not ready for competition. In a video posted on social media, Sinner said: “My knee is not where I'd like it to be. I'll do everything I can to get back on court as soon as possible.” He added that he would miss the tournament's atmosphere and fans most, having enjoyed strong results there in the past, and said he was disappointed not to defend his title but hoped to return next year.

Sinner has not played an official match since winning his second consecutive Wimbledon title on July 12, beating Alexander Zverev in the final for his fifth Grand Slam trophy. He has since withdrawn from the Montreal and Cincinnati Masters 1000 events and the US Open because of the knee injury, and the Beijing withdrawal marks a further delay to his return; he had been training with relative normality for about two weeks beforehand, including sessions in Monaco with fellow Italian player Flavio Cobolli, but the knee's response was apparently not positive enough for him to compete.

Ranking implications

The withdrawal also affects the race for the world No. 1 ranking. Sinner currently leads Zverev, fresh off his US Open title, by 1,810 points, but will lose the 500 points he earned for winning in Beijing last year against Learner Tien. Zverev, who lost in the quarterfinals there last year, defends only 100 points in Beijing but will regain 40 from the United Cup, narrowing Sinner's lead to around 1,370 points; if Zverev wins the tournament this time, taking up to 490 net points, the gap would shrink further to about 880 points.

Sinner's 2026 season remains a strong one regardless: he has played nine tournaments and won six, including Wimbledon and five Masters 1000 titles. He is expected to skip the rest of the Asian swing, including the Shanghai Masters 1000, aiming instead to return at the Vienna ATP 500 on October 24 — possibly testing his fitness first at the Six Kings Slam exhibition in Saudi Arabia, though his participation there remains uncertain given the event's geopolitical situation.