Alexander Zverev has once again been boosted by Jannik Sinner’s latest withdrawal as the German looks to become the world No 1 on the ATP Tour.
Sinner has struggled with a knee injury since winning Wimbledon, and it has kept him out of the Canadian Open, the Cincinnati Open, and the US Open.
“Hello everyone, Jannik here. I want to send the warmest greetings to the Chinese fans. I’m very sorry to announce that I won’t be able to play in Beijing this year,” said Sinner in a social media video about his China Open withdrawal.
“My knee is not where I would like it to be, and I’m not ready to compete, but I will do everything possible to be there on court as soon as I can. What I’ll miss the most is, of course, the tournament, the fans, and the atmosphere,” he continued.
“I’ve had a great time in the past, winning the title last year. I’m very disappointed that I cannot defend it this year, but I’m very happy to come back next year. I wish everyone a very good tournament, and I’ll see you all very soon.”
More Alexander Zverev news
Zverev will now be the top seed at the China Open and the overwhelming favourite to win the tournament.
However, he will not become world No 1 should he win the tournament, although there will only be around 900 ranking points between the two stars.
The earliest Zverev can become the world No 1 is at the Shanghai Masters, but he will need the Italian to withdraw from that tournament too.
If Sinner does not play the Shanghai Masters, which many have suggested he might, Zverev could become the world No 1 if he wins the Shanghai Masters.
However, that will involve Zverev doing something he has never previously achieved in his career, because he has a difficult record at the Shanghai Masters.
Zverev has played the Shanghai Masters seven times in his career, but he is yet to win the title. The star’s best effort came in 2019, where he reached the final.
He defeated the likes of Roger Federer and Matteo Berrettini to reach the final, but he was eventually beaten by Daniil Medvedev in straight sets.
Zverev has also reached the semi finals, in 2018, but he’s struggled at the Masters event in recent years.
He was beaten in the second round of the tournament in 2023, the fourth round in 2024, and the third round in 2025, so the pressure will certainly be on the world No 2.
