Annabel Croft doesn’t mince words about Jannik Sinner after his withdrawal
For the second time in history, the world’s No. 1 tennis player has been forced to miss the U.S. Open. Following Pete Sampras in 1999, this year’s absence was that of Jannik Sinner, a two-time Wimbledon champion, who was sidelined by a right knee injury. The Italian’s absence is sparking debate and raising concerns on the tour.
Annabel Croft, a former German tennis player and well-known TV commentator, admitted in an interview with Sky Sports that she was very surprised: “To be honest, it was a real shock. We knew he hadn’t played in recent tournaments and was resting, but his plan was precisely to prepare for the U.S. Open.”
Croft doesn’t mince words: “It’s a major blow to tennis because it feels like a century has passed since Alcaraz and Sinner competed together in tournaments, and it’s a huge loss for the entire sport. This also underscores just how relentless and physically demanding the tour is.”
The former tennis player took stock of Sinner’s season so far: “He won six consecutive Masters 1000 titles—an absolutely exceptional and phenomenal achievement—but by the time he reached Roland Garros, he didn’t have much energy left, and that may have cost him the French Open title. Then he bounced back and won Wimbledon, but once again his body let him down. It’s difficult for him—and for many players—to maintain peak form. You try to keep playing on the tour and compete in the mandatory events, but at the same time you want to peak for the Grand Slam tournaments—something that isn’t possible right now.”
Despite the disappointment, Sinner’s team has already mapped out the plan for the end of the season. The schedule calls for a return to competition at the tournaments in Beijing and Shanghai, scheduled for late September and early October, followed by the Six Kings Slam in Riyadh, the Paris-Bercy Masters 1000, and the ATP Finals in Turin, where the Italian aims to reaffirm his position at the top of international tennis for the third consecutive year. Barring any surprises, the South Tyrolean’s 2026 season isn’t over yet.
