Jannik Sinner rocked the tennis world when he confirmed that he would be ending his 2026 season early.
The Italian has been dealing with a knee injury since he lifted the Wimbledon title in July, and a string of withdrawals followed for the world No 1.
He missed the entirety of the North American hardcourt swing, but when he signed up for the Vienna Open in October, many assumed he would be back at least for the European indoor swing.
That has not come to fruition, however, and Sinner has now confirmed that he will not be the world No 1 heading into the 2027 season.
Matteo Berrettini, who has won the Davis Cup alongside Sinner, has now shared his thoughts on his compatriot’s recent decision.
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“I didn’t expect it,” explained Berrettini. “I know what’s like to be injured, I would never ask him what he has, you know, or how long it’s going to take, because I know how tough it is mentally and the last thing you want is someone asking ‘when are you going to come back? when are you going to come back?’”
Berrettini did, however, confirm that he has been in contact with Sinner.
“I respect him and I texted him that I was waiting for him, that everybody was waiting for him,” said Berrettini about his recent correspondence with the world No 1.
“Unfortunately this year, we lost the best player in the world. At the same time I know he has one of the best teams in the world. He’s the best player in the world and the best mindset I’ve seen in my life, so I’m sure if he took this decision, it was right one for him and I’m sure he’s going to come back stronger.
“We all wait for me, and he’s also a really nice guy everybody knows that, he’s a good friend of mine. We can’t wait to see him in 2027.”
Sinner will now likely return to action at the 2027 Australian Open, which begins on the 17th January.
That means Sinner will go over six months without playing a competitive match. It’s a testament to the star’s lengthy lead at the top of the ATP Tour that he will likely still start the Grand Slam as the world No 2.
There is a chance that Carlos Alcaraz can overtake Sinner before the end of the year, but he would have to go through the rest of the year in perfect fashion.
Alcaraz would have to follow up his Japan Open victory with title wins in Shanghai, Paris, and the ATP Finals. While he has the talent to do just that, it would be a very difficult accomplishment.
