Jannik Sinner will not defend his China Open title as he continues to recover from a right-knee injury.
The world No. 1’s last match was the Wimbledon final, where he defeated Alexander Zverev 6-7(7), 7-6(2), 6-3, 6-4 to win the title.
After Wimbledon, Sinner began dealing with pain in his right knee and later visited an orthopedic clinic in August for further tests. The injury forced him to miss the Canadian Open and Cincinnati Open, and he eventually withdrew from the US Open, marking the first Grand Slam he had missed since making his debut at the 2019 US Open.
In a video he posted on X, the 25-year-old said, I want to send the warmest greetings to the Chinese fans.
“I’m very sorry to announce that I won’t be able to play in Beijing this year. My knee is not where I would like it to be, and I’m not ready to compete yet.
“I will do everything possible to be there on court as soon as I can. What I miss the most is, of course, the tournament, the fans and the atmosphere. I’ve had great times there in the past, winning the title also last year.
“I’m very disappointed that I cannot defend it this year.”
Sinner has won the China Open twice, first in 2023 and again in 2025. He also reached the final in 2024 but lost to Carlos Alcaraz. The 2026 China Open will take place in Beijing from September 30 to October 6.
