World number one Jannik Sinner has withdrawn from this week's Cincinnati Open because of a right knee injury, ending any chance of the Italian defending the ranking points he earned by reaching last year's final in Ohio. The 24-year-old confirmed the news on Sunday 9 August, with the tournament announcing his absence from the draw for the Masters 1000 event, which begins on 13 August.
Sinner has not played competitively since winning Wimbledon for a second time in July, beating Alexander Zverev in the final at the All England Club. He had already skipped the Masters 1000 in Montreal, and his participation in the American hard-court swing had been in doubt for days before Cincinnati organisers made the withdrawal official.
In a statement released by the tournament, Sinner said: "After consulting with my doctors and my team, I have to announce that I need to withdraw from the Masters 1000 tournament in Cincinnati. My right knee has been bothering me and even though we have been working hard with my medical team, I have to accept I'm not ready to compete yet. I'm very disappointed not to be able to play in Cincinnati. I can't wait to be back next year and I'm now focusing on getting ready for the US Open."
The decision means Sinner will arrive at the US Open, the season's final Grand Slam which begins in New York later this month, without having played a single match on hard courts this summer — the same scenario he faced before his Wimbledon triumph. The Italian, who lifted his fifth Grand Slam title at SW19, had reached the Cincinnati final in 2025, when he was forced to retire while trailing Carlos Alcaraz 5-0 in the deciding set.
Alcaraz, the world number two, will also miss Cincinnati as he continues his recovery from a wrist injury, leaving the top two players in the ATP rankings absent from the Ohio draw. Alexander Zverev and Novak Djokovic headline the field, with the main draw starting on 13 August and the final scheduled for 23 August.
Sinner's team has given no indication of a setback in his recovery, with the focus firmly on being ready for Flushing Meadows. The world number one remains confident of returning in time for the final major of the season, where he will look to add another chapter to a career year that has already brought a second consecutive Wimbledon crown.
Sources
- BBC Sport: https://www.bbc.com/sport/tennis/articles/cdx7gg7wq2do
- Il Tennis Italiano: https://www.tennisitaliano.it/jannik-sinner-non-giochera-cincinnati-ufficiale-il-forfait-del-numero-uno-al-mondo/
