“He moves in a way that’s not... my body could never do it because I would break" - Jannik Sinner's knee injury not a huge surprise according to top WTA players

The ATP Tour had been dominated by Jannik Sinner for much of 2026. Losing just three matches, he has enjoyed some stunning form while being almost unbeatable at times. However, injuries have cost him dearly, and he will not play anymore competitive tennis this season. WTA talents Jessica Pegula and Madison Keys did not view Sinner as the most robust thanks to his style of play and how he competes on court.

After losing in the semi-finals and quarter-finals of the Australian Open and Qatar Open, Sinner found another gear. He won Indian Wells, Miami Open, Monte-Carlo Masters, Madrid Open and Rome Open. He was the overwhelming favourite to clinch a maiden Roland Garros title, but that would not occur after his body failed him on court.

He returned to Wimbledon and defended his title. That was the last time he appeared on court. Tournament after tournament was withdrawn, with the concerns starting to rise surrounding the Italian. Eventually, he made the tough decision to cancel his 2026 plans and focus on returning in 2027.

"Hello everyone, I would like to give you a little update," he said on social media. "Me together with the doctors have decided that I need a course of treatment for my knee, which means that the 2026 season is officially over. The last couple of years, especially the ending in Turin, gave me so many beautiful feelings and emotions, which this year is going to be way different, but at the moment I also need to think about my long-term career. So I will do everything possible to get back 100%. I will thank you already in advance for your support and hope to see you very very soon on court again."

This was due to a knee injury that was unpredictable and notably detrimental. The ATP Tour breathes a premature sigh of belief as they challenge for the biggest titles without the threat of Sinner lurking.

Sinner's progress has been well documented in 2026, and not just his results but also the injury. When he was skipping tournaments in North America and later Asia, there was much curiosity surrounding tennis fans about when he would get back to the action.

On the Player's Box podcast, Keys studied the way Sinner moves on court, highlighting the flexibility displayed on court and how that could lead to injury.

“He moves in a way that’s not… my body could never do it because I would break. I mean, it’s not totally surprising," she said. "The way that he can run into corners or slide into corners and stop and cut. I’m like still running into the stands, and Jannik is somehow fully stopped and already running to the next ball.”

Pegula, the American No.1, hoped that Sinner would come back soon while noting how good he was at his best. “Hopefully he gets better. I felt for a couple of years there he was unstoppable. And I feel sometimes we always think no one’s ever going to beat him."

However, it proves how tough it is to stay fit throughout an entire tennis season. “And then something like this happens, and you come back to the reality that it’s really hard to stay healthy, especially at their level, and that now we see [Alexander] Zverev clinch the year-end number one, which we probably thought wasn’t going to happen until we saw the two injuries from Carlos [Alcaraz] and Jannik. So it’s crazy.”