The initial reports emerging from Jannik Sinner’s camp over the severity of the knee injury that kept him out of this week’s Cincinnati Masters suggest this is only a minor concern for the world No 1, but the real truth will only be revealed when the Italian is back on court.
Rumours that Sinner was suffering from a knee injury surfaced last month, with suggestions that the Wimbledon champion had sought medical advice coinciding with claims that his training programme had been halted.
There were suggestions that Sinner had flown his own doctor in for discussions on what was needed, with the secrecy around the story adding fuel to the whispers rippling through tennis.
When Sinner then released a statement on Sunday confirming he was withdrawing from the Cincinnati Masters and would not play a warm-up event prior to the US Open, the alarm bells started ringing of supporters of the player who would be a strong favourite to win the US Open if he was fully fit.
“After consulting with my doctors and my team, I have to announce that I need to withdraw from the Masters 1000 tournament in Cincinnati,” Sinner said.
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“My right knee has been bothering me and even though we have been working hard with my medical team, I have to accept that I’m not ready to compete yet.
“I’m very disappointed not to be able to play in Cincinnati and wish Bob and his whole team a great and successful event. I can’t wait to be back next year and I’m now focusing on getting ready for the US Open.”
Inevitably, Sinner’s withdrawal announcement sent the rumour mill into overdrive, yet the initial reports emerging from Italy have suggested the reason for his Cincinnati withdrawal was ‘precautionary’.
The reports went on to suggest Sinner and his team are not concerned by the injury and it will not impact his US Open hopes.
This is the standard response we would expect from a top tennis player and even if this is a minor knee niggle, Sinner and his camp would always downplay the severity of the injury in a bid to downplay the significance to his rivals.
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Carlos Alcaraz’s camp suggested the wrist problem he sustained at the Barcelona Open in April was ‘inflammation’ in the days after he sustained the injury, but the Spaniard has not played a single tennis match since then.
There are no suggestions that Sinner’s knee problem is as worrying as his big rival’s ongoing wrist issues, but there is no question that there will be concern in the camp of the world No 1 with the final Grand Slam of the year now a couple of weeks away.
Sinner would have liked to have played a warm-up tournament in Cincinatti and while he is more than good enough to blow the opposition away on a surface he has been so dominant on over the last couple of years without any warm-up matches, his mission will be made more challenging if he is hampered by a knee problem.
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