World number one Jannik Sinner has withdrawn from the 2026 US Open because of a right knee injury, the Italian announced on Friday. It is the first Grand Slam he has missed since making his US Open debut in 2019, ending a run of 28 consecutive appearances at the four major tournaments.
Sinner has not played a competitive match since winning the Wimbledon title in July, where he beat Alexander Zverev to successfully defend his crown at the All England Club. The problem has already forced him to skip the Masters 1000 events in Canada and Cincinnati in August.
Sinner's decision comes a day after rival Carlos Alcaraz announced his comeback at Flushing Meadows - having been ruled out of the French Open and Wimbledon with a wrist injury. Alcaraz beat Sinner in last year's US Open final at the age of 21.
In a statement he posted on his social channels, Sinner explained that he had tried to recover in time but that his team and medical staff had made the difficult call to miss the tournament.
He will spend more time on rehab and practice sessions in Monte Carlo, with a target of returning to the ATP Tour for the Asian hard-court swing in October. BBC Sport has been told by a member of his team that the problem does not require surgery.
With Sinner out, Germany's Alexander Zverev becomes the top seed in the men's singles draw at the US Open, ahead of Alcaraz and Canadian third seed Felix Auger-Aliassime. The main draws begin on Sunday 30 August.
The 25-year-old is the second ATP number one to miss the US Open since the rankings began in 1973: Pete Sampras did not play in 1999 because of a lower back injury. Sinner remains one of the leading contenders for the coming season, having already won two Grand Slam titles, including the 2024 trophy at Flushing Meadows.
Sources
- Sinner withdraws from US Open with knee injury - BBC Sport: https://www.bbc.com/sport/tennis/articles/cvgw2qg3e70o
- Top-ranked Jannik Sinner withdraws from the US Open with knee injury - CTV News: https://www.ctvnews.ca/sports/article/top-ranked-jannik-sinner-withdraws-from-the-us-open-with-a-knee-injury/
- Jannik Sinner withdraws from US Open with right knee injury - The Athletic: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7529211/2026/08/21/jannik-sinner-out-us-open-injury/
