Jannik Sinner withdraws from China Open title defence as knee injury continues to hold him back

Friday, 25 September 2026 at 16:02

Jannik Sinner sits on the grass at Wimbledon.

Jannik Sinner's knee injury has proven to be a lot more serious than many first thought. He has delayed the start to his Asian swing, pulling out of his China Open title defence as he sides with caution ahead of a return to the court.

Sinner romped to glory last year, defeating Learner Tien in the final in a dominant manner. He had featured in the prior three finals in Beijing, winning in 2023 and 2025. He will not be adding another China Open title to his catalogue with the World No.1 not participating.

This all stems from a knee injury picked up during what has been a very busy but productive campaign. After winning five Masters 1000 titles on the bounce, the Italian overcame a disappointing Roland Garros exit to triumph at Wimbledon.

He would then pull out of the Canadian Open and Cincinnati Open as he attempted to rest and allow his body to recover ahead of the US Open. Unfortunately, he would not make the trip to Flushing Meadows with his knee the problem. It is still giving him a lot of grief as he waits even longer before coming back to the sport.

Sinner confirms China Open withdrawal

Sinner announced the news on social media. "Hello everyone, Jannick here. I want to send the warmest greetings to the Chinese fans," he began, ready to state the bad news.

"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, but I will do everything possible to be back 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 a great time in the past, winning the title last year, and 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 hope to see you all very soon on court again."

pic.twitter.com/sXkEDMa3pH
— Jannik Sinner (@janniksin) September 25, 2026

The next tournament on Sinner's radar is the Shanghai Masters. Whether he competes in the penultimate Masters 1000 event of the year is still not clear, but there is a lot of tennis to be played out.

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Sinner still has title defences in Vienna and Paris ahead of the ATP Finals on home soil. The latter is his main priority as he eyes a third consecutive ATP Finals triumph. For the time being, he is still injury-stricken, not taking any chances as he waits for the perfect time to announce his return to action.

For the likes of Alexander Zverev and Novak Djokovic, this is a huge boost with their main title rival out of the equation as they in turn search for more glory.

Lucas MichaelTennis Journalist

Lucas Michael is a tennis journalist based in Cambridge, UK, specializing in comprehensive coverage of the ATP and WTA tours. For the past 1.5 years, he has been a core contributor to TennisUpToDate, where he has authored more than 3,000 data-driven match reports, deep-dive analysis pieces, and engaging liveblogs.

Lucas pairs real-time statistical analysis with on-the-ground reporting, frequently traveling to tournaments to cover the action firsthand from the press box and player press conferences. This blend of advanced metrics and direct access allows him to provide sharp context regarding player form, tactical trends, and breaking tour developments.

He holds a BA (Hons) in Sports Journalism. Grounded in core journalistic ethics, Lucas places a strict emphasis on meticulous sourcing, editorial accuracy, and a commitment to updating live content swiftly as verified information emerges.

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