A major incident occurred before the start of the US Open in New York: world number one tennis player Jannik Sinner has been forced to withdraw from the tournament due to a right knee injury. The 25-year-old Italian athlete announced that he will not be able to fully recover by the start of the main stage, scheduled for August 30th.
Sinner shared his decision on the social network X. He wrote that despite constant work on recovery with his team and medical staff, he had to make the difficult decision to step away from the US Open.
Several days ago, Sinner was training in Monte Carlo. However, after stepping onto the court, he realized that additional time was required to fully overcome the issue with his right knee. He noted that New York is very important to him, and he was happy about the opportunity to play in front of the fans there. Therefore, missing the US Open causes him disappointment.
Sinner won the Wimbledon title last month, defeating Alexander Zverev in the final, thus securing his second consecutive All England Club title. Following this, he also withdrew from hard court tournaments in Montreal and Cincinnati due to a knee injury. These two competitions are considered important preparation for the US Open.
Sinner's withdrawal from the US Open means that a potential match against Carlos Alcaraz at the tournament will also not take place. Their rivalry in recent years has become one of the most discussed pairings in men's tennis. In 2025, both players met in the finals of three Grand Slams. At the last US Open, Carlos won in four sets, preventing Sinner from achieving his dream of a title. Previously, Sinner won the 2024 US Open title, defeating Taylor Fritz in two sets. Meanwhile, Alcaraz stated on Thursday that he is ready to compete in New York after recovering from a right wrist injury.
The 2026 season has been outstanding for Sinner. He played 44 matches, winning them all, and lost only three. During this time, he won six titles. However, he faced difficulties at the French Open: in the second-round match against Juan Manuel Serrundolo, he lost two sets. The heat also exacerbated the difficulties in that match. After this, Sinner took a break and returned brilliantly at Wimbledon, adding a fifth Grand Slam to his collection.
Sinner began his journey in the Grand Slams at the 2019 US Open. Since then, he has participated in all major tournaments. Now, due to the injury, missing the 2026 US Open will disrupt this continuity. This will be the first major tournament Sinner misses after his debut in the Grand Slams in 2019.