Have we seen the last of Jannik Sinner on a tennis court in 2026?
Some rumours rippling through the tennis grapevine suggest Sinner may be struggling to get back on court as he looks to manage the knee problem that has kept him out of action since he lifted the Wimbledon title for the second successive year back in July.
The world No 1 was absent from the US Open and confirmed he had decided to abandon his plans to return to action for this week’s China Open, despite reports in Italy suggesting he was ready to play in the event.
“My knee is not there where I would like it to be. I will be doing everything to be on court as soon as I can,” said Sinner, as he confirmed he would not be playing in this week’s tournament.
“What I’ll miss the most is the atmosphere and the fans, I’ve had a great time in the past. I’ll see you all very soon on court again.”
While some reports are claiming Sinner’s prognosis as he looks to make a return to action is positive, a source has told Tennis365 that there is no confirmed date for Sinner’s comeback at this point.
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There is a growing expectation that the upcoming Shanghai Masters may come too soon for Sinner and he would then be looking at returning during the European indoor swing of the tour.
He is set to play in the lucrative Six Kings Slam in Saudi Arabia later this month and is also slated to appear at the Vienna Open and the Paris Masters, before stepping onto court in front of his Italian fans in Turin for the ATP Finals at the start of November.
All of those appearances are still under a cloud, with some suggestions that he may need to undergo surgery to fully recover from the knee injury.
We have been told that Sinner and his team will weigh up their next move in the coming days, with the option to undergo surgery as a last resort, as it could lead to a longer recovery time.
The financial incentive for Sinner to return to huge, as he could be playing for around $10million in prize money over the next few weeks and there is also a big sporting reason why he would want to get back on court quickly.
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Alexander Zverev is closing in on the year-end world No 1 ranking and if Sinner misses the Shanghai Masters, he may be a long way behind his German rival, who is also picking up points as he plays in an ATP 500 tournament in Beijing this week.
Sinner will be eager to ensure he does not make his knee problem an issue that affects him moving into 2027 and while his immediate financial and professional goals may be pressing, his hopes of being at his best for the Australian Open are likely to be a priority for the five-time Grand Slam champion.
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