China Open withdrawals: Jannik Sinner reveals injury blow as replacement for world No 1 named

Richie Mills 25 Sep 2026 1:30 PM

Pictured: Jannik Sinner falls at Wimbledon

Jannik Sinner has withdrawn from the China Open

Defending China Open champion Jannik Sinner has announced his withdrawal from the upcoming ATP 500 tournament due to an ongoing knee injury.

The world No 1 hasn’t played since beating Alexander Zverev in four sets in the Wimbledon final way back in July, with his current issue forcing him to sit out the 2026 US Open.

Sinner beat Learner Tien in straight sets in last year’s final, but he won’t be able to defend his title in Beijing, which runs from 30 September to 6 October, something he is “very disappointed” by.

In a video on X, the Italian said, “I’m very sorry to announce that I won’t be able to play in Beijing this year. My knee is not where I would like it to be, and I’m not ready to compete yet.

“I will do everything possible to be there on court as soon as I can. What I miss the most is, of course, the tournament, the fans and the atmosphere. I’ve had great times there in the past, winning the title also last year. I’m very disappointed that I cannot defend it this year.”

pic.twitter.com/sXkEDMa3pH

— Jannik Sinner (@janniksin) September 25, 2026

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That may open the door for US Open champion Zverev to close Sinner’s gap at the top of the rankings, with the German now just under 1,400 points in the live rankings behind the 25-year-old.

Zverev is 700 points ahead of Sinner in the ATP Tour Race, thanks in no small part to winning in New York and at the French Open.

Despite Sinner pulling out, it is still a very strong field in Beijing, with top 15 players Felix Auger-Aliassime, Daniil Medvedev, Flavio Cobolli, Alex De Minaur, Novak Djokovic, Tien, and Jakub Mensik all on the entry list.

While there have been nearly 10 withdrawals for next week’s WTA 1000 event in Beijing, the absentees for the men’s tournament is far smaller.

Indeed, alongside Sinner, only world No 47 Raphael Collignon has withdrawn from the fast approaching competition in China’s capital.

The Belgian star took to social media earlier this month to announce he would miss the Davis Cup and the Asian Swing due to a knee injury that has bothered him for months.

Reports suggest world No 50 Quentin Halys has stepped in for Sinner and former top 20 player Sebastian Baez has replaced Collignon. Incidentally, world No 54 Yannick Hanfmann is the next in line to be called up if another player withdraws.