Jannik Sinner has withdrawn from the US Open after failing to fully recover from his ongoing right knee injury, dealing a significant blow to the year’s final Grand Slam. The world No. 1 confirmed on Friday that he would miss the tournament after recent training sessions in Monte Carlo made it clear that he required additional time to regain full fitness.
Sinner’s withdrawal follows a difficult few weeks during which he has been unable to return to competitive tennis since winning Wimbledon. The Italian had already withdrawn from both the Canadian Open and Cincinnati Open while continuing his rehabilitation before ultimately deciding that he would not be fit enough to compete at the New York major.
“Even though I have been working hard with my team and my medical staff, we have now had to make the difficult decision that I will not be able to compete at the US Open this year,” Sinner wrote in a post on X.
“We have been back on court in Monte Carlo over the last couple of days and have realised that I still need more time to recover from my right knee issue. I’m obviously very sad and disappointed, as New York has a special place in my heart,” he added.
Sinner also said he had been looking forward to returning to the tournament and competing in front of the New York crowd.
WHO IS CARLOS TABERNER?
Carlos Taberner has received a late opportunity to enter the 2026 US Open main draw following Sinner’s withdrawal. The 29-year-old has reached a career-high singles ranking of No. 83 but is currently ranked outside the top 300. He turned professional in 2015 and has spent much of his career playing on the ATP Challenger circuit.
The US Open is not completely unfamiliar territory for Taberner. He featured in the 2025 tournament but was eliminated in the opening round of qualifying. He also competed at the Australian Open earlier this year, where he lost to Lorenzo Sonego in the first round.
SINNER CONTINUES TO BATTLE INJURY
Concerns over Sinner’s fitness increased earlier this month when he spent several hours undergoing examinations at a clinic in Milan for his persistent right knee problem. Reports said he was at the Physioclinic orthopaedic clinic for around four hours, further raising doubts about whether he would be ready for the hard-court season.
The withdrawal comes at a particularly important stage of Sinner’s career. He won his fifth Grand Slam title at Wimbledon last month and had been preparing to return to New York, where he captured his first US Open title in 2024.
It also means that at the third Grand Slam of the season, at least one of Sinner or Carlos Alcaraz will be missing. Alcaraz was forced to sit out the French Open and Wimbledon because of a right wrist injury but has since confirmed his return for the US Open.
With Sinner out of the tournament, Alcaraz becomes the highest-ranked player in the draw and one of the leading favourites for the title in New York.
