Jannik Sinner withdraws from the China Open because of lingering knee injury
World No. 1 Jannik Sinner, 25, has delayed his return to competitive tennis after withdrawing from the China Open in Beijing. The Italian defending champion cited a lack of knee improvement as the reason for his withdrawal, stating he is not ready to compete at his best yet. Sinner, who had been dominating the 2026 season with a 44-3 record and six titles, including Wimbledon, had not played since winning Wimbledon on July 12th.
His absence from the China Open increases the likelihood of his top rival, Alexander Zverev, moving to the top of the ATP rankings by season's end. Zverev, 29, has had a strong 2026 campaign, winning the first two Grand Slam titles and reaching the semi-finals of the Australian Open.
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- Sinner delays return with China Open withdrawal freemalaysiatoday.com
