A Long Injury Layoff Continues
Jannik Sinner has confirmed he will withdraw from the China Open in Beijing, the ATP 500 event running from September 30 to October 6, due to a knee injury that has followed him since his Wimbledon title victory over Alexander Zverev back in July. The Italian has now missed the Canadian Open, the Cincinnati Open, the US Open, and now Beijing, making this a prolonged absence that has reshaped the top of the men's game.
In a video posted to social media, Sinner said his knee is "not where I would like it to be" and that he is doing everything possible to return to the court soon. He called himself "very disappointed" to miss Beijing, a tournament he won last year by defeating Learner Tien in a straight-sets final. His next likely appearance is now expected to be the Shanghai Masters.
Points Drop and the Race at the Top
Because Sinner is the defending champion in Beijing, he will lose the full 500 ranking points from his total, dropping him from 11,500 to 11,000. That brings Alexander Zverev, the current US Open champion, to within roughly 1,370 points of the world number one spot. If Zverev, who enters Beijing as the top seed, were to win the title, the gap would shrink to under 900 points before the Shanghai Masters begins.
The Beijing field remains competitive despite Sinner's absence, with Daniil Medvedev, Novak Djokovic, Felix Auger-Aliassime, and Alex De Minaur among the contenders. Quentin Halys steps in as Sinner's replacement in the draw.
TennisDraw users will want to update their bracket picks in Beijing, with Zverev now the clear favourite to capitalise on Sinner's misfortune.
