Sinner Withdraws From US Open Due to Knee Injury

Jannik Sinner, a five-time major champion and the 2024 US Open winner, will not play at Flushing Meadows this year. The top-ranked Italian has pulled out of the tournament because he has not recovered from a right knee injury that has kept him off the court since winning Wimbledon.

Sinner beat Alexander Zverev last month to claim his second straight title at the All England Club, but then withdrew from the hard-court events in Montreal and Cincinnati that serve as warm-ups for the US Open. The 25-year-old said on social media on Friday that he will not be ready when the main draw begins on August 30.

“Even though I have been working hard with my team and my medical staff, we have now had to make the difficult decision that I will not be able to compete at the US Open this year,” Sinner posted on X. “We have been back on court in Monte Carlo over the last couple of days and have realised that I still need more time to recover from my right knee issue. I’m obviously very sad and disappointed, as New York has a special place in my heart. I was very much looking forward to coming back and playing in the electric atmosphere in front of the great fans there.”

Sinner was the 2024 US Open champion and lost to Carlos Alcaraz in last year’s final. Alcaraz posted on social media on Thursday that he would be ready to play in New York after being out of action since April because of a right wrist injury. The two players have dominated men’s tennis in recent years, meeting in the last three Grand Slam finals last year. Alcaraz won the most recent with a four-set victory in New York, ending Sinner’s title reign after Sinner had beaten Taylor Fritz in straight sets in the 2024 final.

Sinner has a 44-3 record with six titles this year. He had a stunning collapse at the French Open, blowing a two-set lead while struggling in the heat in his second-round match against Juan Manuel Cerundolo. He then sat out until Wimbledon, where his victory gave him five Grand Slam titles. This will be the first time Sinner has missed a Grand Slam tournament since making his major debut at the 2019 US Open.

Source: www.aljazeera.com — Read the original article