Jannik Sinner withdraws from Shanghai Masters over knee injury

World No. 1 Jannik Sinner has withdrawn from next week’s Shanghai Masters, delaying his return to competition while he continues to recover from a right knee injury. The 25-year-old Italian announced the decision on Instagram on Saturday, saying he would not be able to play at the tournament, scheduled for October 7 to 18.

He did not provide a further explanation. Sinner has not played since winning Wimbledon in July. He also withdrew from the China Open in Beijing in late September, where he was the defending champion.

According to the Italian press, he consulted a knee specialist in Lyon, France, on Friday. The injury first led him to withdraw from the Cincinnati Open in August. At the time, Sinner said his right knee had been troubling him and that he was not ready to compete despite work with his medical team.

Sinner has won six titles in 2026 and has a record of 44 victories against three defeats. His Wimbledon success came in a four-set final against Alexander Zverev, the French Open champion, after Sinner recovered from losing the opening set. His continued absence could affect the battle for the ATP No.

1 ranking. Zverev is currently 1,370 points behind Sinner and may have an opportunity to move to the top before the season ends. Sinner also has more ranking points to defend in the final tournaments because he won the Beijing and Vienna ATP 500 events, the Paris Masters and the ATP Finals in Turin in 2025.

Zverev, by contrast, was less effective late last season and can add more points. Zverev has won the French Open and US Open in 2026, reached the Australian Open semi-finals and lost the Wimbledon final. The source material gives no date for Sinner’s return.