Jannik Sinner officially explains why he withdrew from the U.S. Open: “Sad and disappointed”

In the end, Jannik Sinner had to give in. The world No. 1 will not be competing in the 2026 U.S. Open. The decision came after days of evaluation with his team and medical staff, as the issue with his right knee has not yet provided sufficient assurance.

Sinner had already decided to skip Cincinnati specifically with the goal of recovering in time for the season’s final Grand Slam. The hope was to arrive at Flushing Meadows ready to face Carlos Alcaraz, who will, in fact, be competing as scheduled. However, how he’s been feeling in recent days hasn’t been positive enough, and the South Tyrolean champion has chosen not to take any risks, thus withdrawing from the New York tournament.

Sinner himself announced the decision on social media: “Despite the hard work put in by my team and the medical staff, we had to make the difficult decision not to participate in the US Open this year. We returned to the court in Monte Carlo over the past few days and realized that I still need time to recover from the issue with my right knee. I’m obviously very sad and disappointed, because New York holds a special place in my heart. I was really looking forward to returning to play in that electrifying atmosphere in front of the fantastic fans.”

This is a significant setback for Sinner, fresh off his triumph at Wimbledon and his run to the final right here in New York a year ago. The issue with his right knee, which has been bothering him for several weeks now, will therefore force him to give up the chance to chase his second US Open title after the one he won in 2024. His priority now will be to fully recover from the injury, without rushing the process. Sinner will therefore have to wait before returning to the court and aim to return to the tour only once his knee is back in optimal condition.