World No. 1 Jannik Sinner Withdraws From Shanghai Masters as Knee Injury Lingers

Knee problem ends China swing hopes

World No. 1 Jannik Sinner has withdrawn from next week’s Rolex Shanghai Masters as he continues to recover from a knee injury that has kept him off court since he won Wimbledon in July.

The 25-year-old Italian also skipped the US Open and the ongoing ATP 500 China Open in Beijing. On Friday he said he was not ready to compete in Beijing; on Saturday he confirmed Shanghai was off as well.

Sinner’s Instagram message

“Unfortunately, I won’t be able to play at the Rolex Shanghai Masters this year as I had hoped,” Sinner wrote on Instagram. “I always enjoy playing in front of the Shanghai fans and I’m very sorry that I won’t be able to do so next week. Thank you for all your support. I’m looking forward to seeing you again next year!”

The Masters 1000 event runs from 7 to 18 October. Sinner won the Shanghai title in 2024, beating Novak Djokovic in the final. The field still includes Djokovic, Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev, Ben Shelton, Félix Auger-Aliassime and defending champion Valentin Vacherot, according to the ATP Tour and Al Jazeera.

Zverev rankings angle

Sinner’s prolonged absence strengthens Zverev’s push to finish the season as year-end No. 1. Sky Sports reported Zverev leads the Race to Turin standings with 8,750 points to Sinner’s 7,950. Al Jazeera, citing Reuters, said Zverev could move to the top of the rankings for the first time if he wins both Beijing and Shanghai.

According to the ATP Tour, Sinner owns a 44-3 record in 2026 and earlier completed the Career Golden Masters with titles at Indian Wells, Miami, Monte-Carlo, Madrid and Rome before adding a fifth major at Wimbledon.