Jannik Sinner is adamant about his latest withdrawal in Milan
World No. 1 Jannik Sinner makes a splash at Milan Fashion Week. After announcing the postponement of his return to the court and his withdrawal from the Beijing tournament, the Italian tennis star arrived in Milan to join his girlfriend Laila Hasanovic and was spotted at the Gucci fashion show.
On this occasion, the South Tyrolean tennis player met with renowned Vogue editor Anna Wintour, who was surprised to see him in Milan: “I thought you were going to Beijing,” she told him candidly. Sinner replied with a smile, though a somewhat bitter one: “I thought so too…”. The journalist then spoke about Laila Hasanovic, Sinner’s girlfriend: “I met your girlfriend—she’s so cute!”
The tennis player from San Candido had announced his withdrawal on X just a few hours earlier: “I’m sorry to announce that I won’t be able to make it; I’m not ready to play yet. I’ll miss the tournament, the fans, and the atmosphere. I’ve had some great moments in Beijing in the past. I’m sorry I can’t defend the title I won in 2025, but I’ll be there next year. I hope all the Chinese fans enjoy a great tournament.”
Sinner’s absence from Beijing further narrows the gap with Zverev in the ATP rankings. In fact, 1,370 points currently separate Sinner from Zverev, who is second in the world rankings. This gap could narrow even further in the coming weeks, considering that Sinner has a much larger point total to defend than his rival. In the final stretch of last season, Sinner had in fact accumulated a significant number of points. Following his triumph in Beijing and early exit in Shanghai, he went on to win consecutive titles in Vienna, Paris, and at the ATP Finals. These last three tournaments alone account for 3,000 points that Sinner will have to defend.
Zverev, on the other hand, is starting from a very different position. During the 2025 Asian swing, the German earned just 110 points, leaving him ample room to earn new points this season. Sinner’s withdrawal thus opens up a scenario that seemed hard to imagine just a few months ago. Zverev will, in fact, have the chance to further close the gap in the race for the world No. 1 ranking. A potential double victory in Beijing and Shanghai would allow him to overtake Sinner in the rankings.
