Sinner to Miss Rest of 2026 Season Due to Knee Injury
Theo Al Jazeera English
World No. 1 Jannik Sinner will not compete again in 2026 to continue treatment for knee inflammation, his team confirmed. The 25-year-old has been out since winning Wimbledon in July.
World No. 1 Jannik Sinner will not play again for the remainder of the 2026 season after deciding to continue his recovery from a knee injury that has kept him sidelined since his Wimbledon triumph in July.
According to a statement from Sinner's team on Tuesday, the five-time Grand Slam champion will "follow a treatment plan for knee inflammation."
"The decision was made to proceed with treatment now, so that Jannik has enough recovery time before beginning his preparations for 2027. Therefore, Jannik will not be able to return to competition during the 2026 season," the statement read.
Sinner also shared the update on his personal Instagram account, where he recalled ending last year by successfully defending his ATP Finals title in Turin after defeating then-world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz.
"But at this moment, I also need to think about my long-term career," Sinner said in a video posted on Instagram.
"I will do everything I can to come back at 100% [and] hope to see everyone on court again soon."
Sinner, 25, has not competed since his triumph at the All England Club, missing the North American hard-court swing including the US Open and the ATP 500 event currently underway in Beijing. Last week, he announced his withdrawal from the Shanghai Masters, a tournament he won in 2024 after beating Novak Djokovic in the final.
Now Sinner will also be absent from the Paris Masters and the ATP Finals in November. In addition, he cannot play for Italy – the host nation and three-time defending champion – at the Davis Cup Final 8.
The layoff puts Sinner at risk of losing his world No. 1 ranking. However, if he returns early next year, he could play the Australian Open – the next Grand Slam – which begins on January 17.
This year, Sinner had a 30-match winning streak before falling in the second round of the French Open amid a severe heatwave in Paris.
His main rival also missed four and a half months this year due to a right wrist injury. Meanwhile, Germany's Alexander Zverev has won two of the four Grand Slam titles and is closing in on the world No. 1 ranking.
