Jannik Sinner warned his 2026 season could ‘end early’ after US Open withdrawal
Jannik Sinner has been warned that any potential ‘relapse’ in his recent injury may put a premature end to his 2026 season, adding that the Italian’s case will ‘serve as a warning’ to his rivals over scheduling priorities.
On Friday, the Italian announced that he would not be able to participate in the season’s final Grand Slam due to an ongoing ‘right knee issue’.
The social media post came just five weeks after successfully defending his Wimbledon title, beating German Alexander Zverev in a four-set clash.
With a 44-3 (93.6%) win-loss record, Sinner would have likely been the favourite for the New York tournament.
Most frustratingly, the world No 1 also had a physical issue which proved fatal for his French Open chances, succumbing to the intense Parisian heat during his second-round match in which he had led Juan Manuel Cerundolo 6-2, 6-2, 5-1 before losing out in the fifth set.
Prior to Paris, Sinner became the first man to win all of the opening five Masters 1000 tournaments, and just the second man to win all three of such clay-court tournaments – after Rafael Nadal did so in 2010, before winning the French Open.
Former world No 12 and Italian tennis commentator Paolo Bertolucci weighed in with his honest analysis of his countryman’s difficult situation.
More Tennis News
Carlos Alcaraz & Serena Williams confirmed to pair up for US Open mixed doubles
Jannik Sinner’s US Open withdrawal branded a ‘shock’ as Annabel Croft makes worrying assessment
“Undoubtedly, the grind Sinner put in this year, which led to winning 5 consecutive Masters 1000s, from Indian Wells to Rome via Miami, Monte Carlo, and Madrid, must have left some aftereffects,” began Bertolucci during an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport.
“The most obvious one remains what happened at Roland Garros, the second-round loss to Cerundolo in five sets, after being just points away from victory.
“Then there was the comeback, capped by the Wimbledon triumph. But now the guy is sidelined, his last match dates back to the London final played and won against Zverev on Sunday, July 12, and so we truly hope the US Open is the last tournament he’s forced to skip.
“You can’t show up at this level if the previous issue hasn’t been resolved. A potential relapse, in fact, would be disastrous and could even lead to an early end to the 2026 season.
“So, you have to tread carefully, do the right things, not let yourself be driven by the anxiety to return at all costs.
“There’s a very fine line that absolutely must not be crossed. It costs Sinner and his team a lot to say no to the US Open, but it’s a no that comes at the end of a precise journey.”
Indeed, Sinner has played in nine tournaments this season and currently sits atop the Live ATP Rankings with 12,800 points – with this reducing to 11,500 after the US Open.
Despite the withdrawal, world No 2 Alexander Zverev will be unable to overtake the Italian even if he were to win his maiden US Open title, as he currently sits 3810 points behind.
Given the success in both the titles and rankings, Bertolucci suggests that Sinner’s right knee issue will ‘serve as a warning’ to every player who continues to play week-in-and-week-out simply because they are consistently going deep in tournaments.
“I repeat that, for the future, it’s necessary to reflect on scheduling,” he added.
“Sinner has just turned 25. He realistically has several more seasons at the highest level ahead of him, and he won’t lack opportunities to play the US Open and the other majors many times over.
“But the body needs to be fine-tuned, only presenting itself when everything is back in place. Probably, looking back, there’s the aftermath, the long wave of all those consecutive tournaments that has come calling on the body.
“That could very well be the reason for the Paris stumble and this latest stop, even if we can’t know for sure. The reflection to make is this: scheduling is worth as much as a shot.
“It needs to be fixed, sorted out. Sinner has done it with key shots, for example his serve, which has improved a lot over the years.
“He needs to do the same thing. And let all this serve as a warning to every player who gets swept up in the euphoria of victory, the excitement, tending to push scheduling aside a bit – when in fact it has become fundamental in a tennis so demanding. It requires more and more: both mentally and physically.”
Sinner is expected to return to the tour at the Beijing Open, which takes place from September 30 – October 6.
