A Painful Streak of Absences
Jannik Sinner has confirmed he will not compete at the Rolex Shanghai Masters, which gets underway on October 7 at the Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena. The announcement came just one day after the Italian withdrew from the China Open in Beijing, where he was the defending champion. A right knee injury has kept Sinner off the tour since he beat Alexander Zverev in the Wimbledon final on July 12, and the problem also forced him to miss the Masters 1000 events in Montreal and Cincinnati, as well as the US Open.
Posting on Instagram, Sinner said he always enjoys playing in front of the Shanghai crowd and expressed genuine sadness at missing the event. He closed with a note of optimism, saying he was looking forward to seeing the fans again next year. Sinner won the Shanghai Masters in 2024, making this withdrawal a particularly tough blow. His current season record still stands at an impressive 44 wins and just 3 losses, with six titles collected across Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo, Madrid, Rome, and Wimbledon.
Race to Turin Takes a Sharp Turn
The timing is especially costly in the Race to Turin standings. Alexander Zverev has moved roughly 800 points clear of Sinner in the rankings for the season-ending ATP Finals in Turin, and both Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz are set to play in Shanghai. Sinner is not the only big name absent; Brazilian rising star Joao Fonseca has also pulled out citing a difficult injury-plagued season and the need to rest.
Looking ahead, Sinner could return as early as the Six Kings Slam exhibition in Riyadh on October 21, with the Vienna Open, Paris Masters, and ATP Finals still on his potential schedule. TennisDraw users will be closely watching those bracket scenarios as the tour season enters its final stretch.
