Jannik Sinner looked to be on top of the world at Wimbledon earlier this year, after collecting a consecutive Grand Slam at the London tournament.
Since, however, Sinner has not been seen since due to a mysterious knee injury.
The star initially pulled out of the Canadian Open and the Cincinnati Open, before things started to get really serious with a US Open withdrawal.
After weeks of speculation, and a number of other withdrawals, Sinner has finally confirmed that he will not be taking part in the rest of the 2026 season.
That means the star will not play the Shanghai Masters, the Vienna Open, the Paris Masters, and the ATP Finals this year. The latter three of those Sinner was the defending champion, so it is especially brutal for the world No 1.
Despite confirming that he would not be playing any more events in 2027, Sinner might have just quietly confirmed an appearance at a 2027 event.
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According to Italian outlet Spazio Tennis, Sinner has reportedly signed a deal to play the China Open every year until 2030.
The Italian did not play the China Open this year, but he made headlines when he played the ATP 500 tournament during the 2025 season.
Sinner was reportedly paid a $1.2 million appearance fee just for turning up at the China Open, and he rewarded the organisers deep pockets by lifting the trophy.
The world No 1 defeated the likes of Learner Tien, Alex de Minaur, and Marin Cilic to win the tournament for the second time in his career.
While it should be no surprise that the China Open is keen to convince Sinner to play, it is interesting that the star is already starting to formulate his calendar so far in advance.
It is not really a confirmation that Sinner will play the tournament, with plenty that could still happen in the next 12 months, but the ATP 500 event will be delighted to tie-down the Italian.
That could also mean that the Japan Open will make the same type of move for Carlos Alcaraz. The Tokyo event takes place in the same week as the China Open and the Spaniard has opted to play the ATP 500 event instead of appearing in Beijing.
It is vital that both tournaments get a split of the best players when they are taking place in competing weeks, so expect Alcaraz to defend his title for a third consecutive year in the 2026 event.
Alcaraz recently beat Jiri Lehecka in straight sets to claim the Japan Open title for a second time in a row, having already picked up wins against Jaume Munar, Matteo Arnaldi, and Alex Michelsen.
