Between a forced break and a bad knee, Jannik Sinner has already had to pull out of 10 tournaments

Jannik Sinner is a true treasure of tennis. The current world No. 1 is one of the most beloved and widely followed players globally. Having him in excellent physical and mental condition, and ready to compete at his very best, is a dream come true for tennis fans.

Unfortunately, as has happened to other prominent players (most notably his top rival, Carlos Alcaraz), Jannik Sinner has been forced to withdraw from several prestigious tournaments over the past two tennis seasons. The latest? His withdrawal from the ATP 500 in Beijing, again due to the long-standing issue with his right knee that has been affecting him for some time now.

This season, the Italian has already missed four tournaments: the Montreal Masters 1000, the Cincinnati Masters 1000, the U.S. Open, and, of course, the ATP 500 in Beijing. In fact, he hasn’t played since winning the Wimbledon final on July 12. By my calculations, that’s nearly three months away from the courts.

It’s roughly the same length of time he was sidelined last season when he was forced to take a break due to his well-known suspension (from February to May). During that period, he was unable to compete at Indian Wells, Miami, and Madrid, as well as the ATP 500 in Doha and the Masters 1000 in Monte Carlo. Added to these five tournaments is his withdrawal from the Toronto tournament this summer. In total, we’re talking about 10 withdrawals over nearly two tennis seasons.