SAEDNEWS: World No. 1 Jannik Sinner has withdrawn from the 2026 US Open because of a right knee injury, ending his hopes of defending his title in New York and creating a major opportunity for Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev.
According to SaedNews: World No. 1 Jannik Sinner will not compete at the 2026 US Open after withdrawing because of an injury to his right knee. The decision removes one of the tournament’s leading title contenders and means Sinner will miss a Grand Slam for the first time in seven years.
Sinner won the US Open in 2024 and reached last year’s final, with hopes of returning to New York for another title challenge this season. His knee condition, however, made that plan impossible.
The Italian said that, after consulting his medical team and completing different training sessions, he had concluded that he needed more time to regain full fitness. He added that New York holds a special place in his heart and said he was deeply disappointed that he would be unable to play in front of his supporters.
The condition of Sinner’s right knee had become a major concern for his team in recent weeks. He spent time away from competition while undergoing treatment and rehabilitation.
Reports from Italy initially suggested that the problem was not considered particularly serious. Sinner had even completed high-intensity training sessions in Monte Carlo and remained hopeful of being ready for the US Open.
A Grand Slam in New York, however, presents different demands from a practice session. Intense heat, high humidity and the physical strain of a seven-round tournament could have increased the risk of aggravating the injury. His team therefore decided that he would only compete if he was fully prepared physically. Ultimately, that condition was not met.
After completing treatment for inflammation in his right knee, Sinner returned to training, but he had not yet reached a level at which he could confidently enter such a demanding tournament. His immediate priority is therefore complete recovery and a careful return to competition.
Sinner’s absence from the US Open closes another chapter in a 2026 season that has unfolded very differently from the previous year.
The world No. 1 made an exceptional start to the season. At one point, he won five consecutive Masters titles. Including his previous victory in Paris, that sequence extended to six straight titles at that level.
His only significant setback during that stretch came against Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open semifinals. After that, the picture gradually changed.
At Roland Garros, Sinner was eliminated in the second round by an opponent who was not widely expected to beat him, preventing him from producing the performance anticipated of him. He returned to competition quickly, though, and made up for the disappointment at Wimbledon.
Sinner went on to win the Wimbledon Grand Slam title, which remains his most recent official appearance on the ATP Tour.
Concerns over his knee subsequently kept him out of the Montreal Masters and then Cincinnati. It has now become clear that the injury was serious enough to force him out of the US Open as well.
The direct rivalry between Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz has been one of the defining features of recent men’s tennis. Last year, the two young stars effectively emerged as the leading figures in the sport and met in several Grand Slam finals. The 2026 season, however, has followed a different path.
Sinner failed to reach the Australian Open final after Djokovic stopped him in the semifinals. Alcaraz, meanwhile, missed both Roland Garros and Wimbledon because of a hand injury.
The situation is now reversed. Alcaraz is ready to compete in New York, while Sinner will have to follow the tournament from home.
Tennis fans will therefore have to wait again for another major meeting between the two stars.
Alcaraz enters the US Open as one of the leading contenders for the title, and Sinner’s absence could make his route toward defending his crown or reaching another final less difficult.
Despite missing the US Open, Sinner will retain the No. 1 position in the ATP rankings.
He is due to lose 1,300 points from last year’s final, but his advantage over his main rivals is large enough to protect his position at the top.
The live rankings, after the US Open points are taken into account, still place Sinner comfortably ahead, with Alexander Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz behind him.
That position reflects how many points Sinner accumulated during the previous months. Even missing an entire Grand Slam cannot immediately remove him from the top of the rankings. The rest of the season will nevertheless be important, because a prolonged absence could gradually reduce his advantage over his rivals.
Sinner’s withdrawal also carries historical significance.
Since the ATP ranking system began in 1973, only one other world No. 1 had previously missed the US Open while holding the top ranking.
That happened in 1999, when American star Pete Sampras was unable to compete in the tournament. Sinner is now the second ATP world No. 1 to miss the US Open while sitting at the top of the rankings.
The withdrawal also marks Sinner’s first absence from the main draw of a Grand Slam since 2019. Since then, he had appeared at virtually every major tournament and established himself as one of the most consistent players of the new generation.
Sinner’s decision has also altered the tournament draw and seeding. Spanish player Carlos Taberner entered the main draw using a protected ranking.
Among the leading contenders, Alexander Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz will occupy two of the top seed positions, meaning they could meet only in the final if both continue through the draw.
Felix Auger-Aliassime will also hold a high seeding position, while Novak Djokovic could be among the top four seeds. Above all, however, the most noticeable change will be the empty place left by Sinner at the top of the field—a player who became Wimbledon champion less than a month ago and will now not even have the chance to defend his US Open title.
For Sinner, the decision may be disappointing, but under the circumstances it could be the most sensible option. The season still has a long way to go, and returning too soon could turn a short-term injury into a much longer problem.
The world No. 1’s immediate objective is no longer winning in New York. It is to recover fully, avoid unnecessary risk and prepare properly for the remainder of the season.
