Jannik Sinner has officially brought his 2026 season to an early end as he continues his recovery from a knee injury that has kept him out of competition since his Wimbledon triumph in July.
The Italian, who successfully defended his Wimbledon title by beating Alexander Zverev in the final on July 12, has not played since. The injury subsequently forced him to miss the North American hard-court swing, including the US Open, as well as the Asian tournaments.
Sinner had already withdrawn from the China Open and Shanghai Masters as he continued to recover. He will now also miss the European indoor season and the ATP Finals in Turin, where he has won the title in each of the past two years.
“Me, together with the doctors, have decided that I need a course of treatment for my knee, which means that the 2026 season is officially over,” Sinner said in a video message.
The decision comes with Sinner looking beyond the immediate end to the season and prioritizing his long-term fitness.
“The last couple of years, especially the ending in Turin, gave me so many beautiful feelings and emotions which this year is going to be way different,” he said. “But at the moment, I also need to think about my long-term career. So I’ll do everything possible to get back 100%.”
According to a statement from Sinner’s team, the 25-year-old will undergo treatment for inflammation in his knee, with the aim of giving him enough time to recover before beginning preparations for the 2027 season.
The decision brings an abrupt end to what had been another extraordinary campaign for the Italian.
A historic start to 2026
Before the injury interrupted his season, Sinner had established an extraordinary level of dominance, particularly at Masters 1000 level.
He won the first five Masters 1000 tournaments of the 2026 season, claiming titles at Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo, Madrid and Rome. Those victories followed his triumph at the Paris Masters in November 2025, giving him six consecutive Masters 1000 titles. That run made Sinner the first man in history to win six Masters 1000 tournaments in succession.
His Monte Carlo victory had already seen him become only the second man after Novak Djokovic in 2015 to win Indian Wells, Miami and Monte Carlo in the same season.
Sinner’s run also included a remarkable 30-match winning streak, while his five Masters 1000 titles in 2026 helped him secure his place at the ATP Finals before Wimbledon.
He eventually added another Grand Slam title at Wimbledon, taking his major tally to five before his knee problem brought his season to a halt.
The race for year-end No. 1
Sinner’s absence also leaves the world No. 1 ranking in Zverev’s hands as the season enters its final weeks.
Following the China Open in Beijing, Sinner remains at the top with 11,000 points, while Zverev is second on 9,720, leaving a gap of 1,280 points. But the Italian still has 3,050 points to defend from his 2025 results, compared with 980 for Zverev.
Sinner is due to lose 50 points from his Shanghai result, 500 from Vienna, 1,000 from the Paris Masters and 1,500 from the ATP Finals. Zverev, meanwhile, has 50 points to defend in Shanghai, 330 in Vienna, 400 in Paris and 200 at the ATP Finals.
That means Sinner has 2,070 more points at stake than Zverev, more than the 1,280-point gap separating them now. If neither player earns another point for the rest of the season, Sinner would drop to 7,950 points while Zverev would fall to 8,740, enough for the German to take the No. 1 spot for the first time in his career.
The German will reach the summit after a remarkable season of his own, finally winning his first Grand Slam at Roland Garros before adding a second at the US Open.
The achievement caps nearly a decade among the world’s elite for Zverev. The 26-time ATP Tour champion already has seven Masters 1000 titles, two ATP Finals crowns and Olympic gold to his name. Adding the No. 1 ranking now represents the latest milestone in a career that has long been at the highest level.
