Jannik Sinner Pulls Out of US Open as Knee Injury Blows Men’s Draw Wide Open

NEW YORK, August 22, 2026: Jannik Sinner will not play the 2026 US Open after failing to recover in time from a persistent right knee injury, removing the world No. 1 and one of the tournament’s two dominant men from the final Grand Slam of the season.

The 24-year-old Italian confirmed his withdrawal after attempting to return to court in Monte Carlo, where he and his medical team concluded that the knee still needed more time. The decision ends Sinner’s hopes of reclaiming the US Open title he won in 2024 and leaves the men’s draw without a player who had reached each of the last two finals at Flushing Meadows.

His absence immediately changes the balance of the tournament. Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz confirmed his own return from injury only a day earlier, while Alexander Zverev, Novak Djokovic, Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Flavio Cobolli suddenly have a clearer route through a draw that had been expected to revolve around another Sinner-Alcaraz collision.

Reuters also reported that Jack Draper has withdrawn, adding another significant name to the injury list just before the main draw begins. The two withdrawals reinforce concerns that have followed the ATP season throughout the North American hard-court swing, where leading players have repeatedly had to manage fitness rather than simply chase ranking points.

The Sports Encounter had already flagged Sinner’s health as one of the defining questions before New York after Sinner and Novak Djokovic skipped Montreal and the Italian later withdrew from Cincinnati with the same knee problem.

Jannik Sinner Withdraws From the 2026 US Open

Sinner announced his decision in a statement after returning to practice in Monte Carlo.

“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.”

He added that several days back on court had made it clear that the right knee had not recovered sufficiently for Grand Slam competition.

The official US Open announcement confirmed that Sinner had posted a remarkable 44-3 record in 2026 before the injury interrupted his season. He won Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo, Madrid, Rome and Wimbledon, building one of the strongest seasons of his career before the knee issue halted his momentum.

Sinner had also become one of the defining figures of recent US Open history. He won the title in 2024 and returned to the final in 2025, where Alcaraz beat him to reclaim the championship.

That recent dominance made another Sinner-Alcaraz final one of the most obvious storylines entering this year’s tournament.

It will not happen.

The Knee Injury Has Disrupted Sinner’s Entire Hard-Court Preparation

The withdrawal is the latest stage of an injury timeline that has gradually grown more serious.

Sinner had already decided not to play the Canadian Open, initially making that decision as part of his workload management following another demanding Wimbledon run. The Sports Encounter examined the issue at the time in our analysis of the National Bank Open field and the US Open questions surrounding the leading men.

The situation changed when Sinner subsequently pulled out of Cincinnati because of the right knee injury.

Reuters reported on August 9 that the injury forced him to miss one of the most important hard-court preparation events before New York. His absence immediately raised doubts over whether he would be able to recover quickly enough for a best-of-five Grand Slam.

The Sports Encounter covered that concern throughout the North American swing, including the broader implications of Sinner’s disrupted US Open preparation as Montreal and Cincinnati continued without him.

His attempt to resume training in Monte Carlo represented the final test.

The knee failed it.

Jannik Sinner’s 2026 Season Before the Injury

Category	2026 Record
Season win-loss record	44-3
Indian Wells	Champion
Miami Open	Champion
Monte Carlo Masters	Champion
Madrid Open	Champion
Italian Open	Champion
Wimbledon	Champion
US Open	Withdrawn

The scale of that season explains why his withdrawal changes the tournament so dramatically.

Sinner was not arriving in New York as a contender searching for form. Before the injury, he had been the most consistently successful player on the men’s tour.

His Wimbledon victory added a fifth Grand Slam title and extended his grip over the top ranking. The Sports Encounter documented his complete run in Jannik Sinner’s road to Wimbledon 2026 glory, a campaign that reinforced how difficult he had become to beat across surfaces.

What Sinner’s Withdrawal Means for Carlos Alcaraz

The timing makes Carlos Alcaraz the most obvious beneficiary, although his own situation remains complicated.

Alcaraz confirmed on August 20 that he would return at the US Open after four months out with a right wrist injury. He has not completed a competitive match since April, meaning the defending champion will enter New York without the preparation normally associated with a major title defense.

The Sports Encounter previously examined the uncertainty around his fitness after Alcaraz withdrew from Cincinnati, a decision that appeared to put his US Open defense in jeopardy.

His return now looks even more consequential.

Without Sinner, Alcaraz becomes the highest-ranked active player in the field and loses the rival who has defined so many of his biggest recent matches.

The official US Open noted that Alcaraz and Sinner had won nine consecutive Grand Slam titles between them before Alexander Zverev ended that sequence at Roland Garros this year.

Their rivalry had become the central axis of the men’s game.

New York will now have to find a different ending.

Alcaraz Is the Favorite, but He Is Not a Safe Favorite

Removing Sinner does not automatically turn the tournament into an Alcaraz procession.

The Spaniard is coming back from a long injury layoff and will have to negotiate seven best-of-five matches without the benefit of competitive hard-court preparation.

That creates an unusual combination: he may be the strongest player left in the field, but he is also one of the least tested physically.

The Sports Encounter’s 2026 US Open preview already identified health, workload and preparation as central variables in the men’s draw. Sinner’s withdrawal has made those concerns even more important.

Alexander Zverev Suddenly Has a Major Opportunity

Zverev may have more reason than anyone besides Alcaraz to reassess the draw.

The German finally became a Grand Slam champion at Roland Garros this season after years of near-misses. That breakthrough removed one of the heaviest psychological burdens in men’s tennis and changed how future majors must be viewed.

He also knows exactly how painful the US Open can be.

Zverev reached the final in 2020 and came within two points of the title before losing to Dominic Thiem.

With Sinner absent and Alcaraz returning from injury, Zverev has a legitimate opportunity to add a second major and finally win in New York.

His 2026 Grand Slam season has already proved that he can manage the physical and mental demands of a two-week major. The open question is whether he can produce his most aggressive tennis when the tournament moves into its decisive stages.

Novak Djokovic’s Chase for No. 25 Becomes More Interesting

Any discussion of an open Grand Slam draw inevitably returns to Novak Djokovic.

The 24-time major champion has spent the last several seasons managing his schedule around the Grand Slams, often skipping regular-tour events to preserve his body.

The Sports Encounter examined that strategy when Djokovic returned to Cincinnati with his US Open record chase in focus.

Sinner had become one of Djokovic’s toughest obstacles at the majors. Their Wimbledon meetings showed how dramatically the balance of power had shifted toward the younger Italian.

That problem no longer exists in New York.

Djokovic still has to deal with Alcaraz, Zverev and a deeper group of younger contenders, but Sinner’s absence removes one of the few opponents capable of sustaining relentless baseline pressure against him for four or five sets.

Grand Slam No. 25 remains an enormous challenge.

It is slightly less crowded now.

Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton Have a Rare American Opening

The US Open has not produced an American men’s singles champion since Andy Roddick in 2003.

Sinner’s withdrawal improves the chances of that drought ending.

Taylor Fritz has already shown that he can navigate the pressure of playing deep into the second week in New York. He reached the 2024 US Open final before losing to Sinner.

Ben Shelton brings a different profile. His serve, athleticism and willingness to attack make him particularly dangerous in front of an American crowd. He has also demonstrated that he can handle New York’s atmosphere after reaching the semifinals in 2023.

Their opportunities will still depend heavily on the draw, but neither player now has to account for Sinner as the tournament’s dominant hard-court benchmark.

Felix Auger-Aliassime and Flavio Cobolli Move Further Into the Conversation

The official US Open also identified Felix Auger-Aliassime and Flavio Cobolli among the players who could benefit from the opening created by Sinner’s withdrawal.

Cobolli’s rise has been one of the more significant stories of the season. He reached the Roland Garros final and continued producing strong results through the summer, demonstrating that his breakthrough was not confined to clay.

Auger-Aliassime has the serve and first-strike tennis to threaten anyone on a hard court when he finds rhythm.

Neither player would have entered the tournament ahead of Sinner in any credible title hierarchy.

Neither has to anymore.

Jack Draper Withdrawal Adds Another Injury Blow

Sinner was not the only significant withdrawal announced on Friday.

Jack Draper is also out.

Reuters reported that the Lawn Tennis Association confirmed Draper’s withdrawal hours after Sinner’s announcement. The LTA did not immediately disclose the injury, although reports linked the decision to his long-standing left arm problem.

Draper reached a career-high ranking of world No. 4 in 2025 before a bone injury in his arm disrupted his season. He has also dealt with knee trouble this year and arrived at the North American swing trying to rebuild form.

The Sports Encounter had highlighted Draper’s fitness as a key storyline when he received a Cincinnati Open wild card.

His early exits in Montreal and Cincinnati suggested that the comeback had not yet found stability.

Now his US Open is over before it starts.

Why the Two Withdrawals Matter Beyond the Draw

These withdrawals reinforce one of the central issues hanging over modern professional tennis.

The calendar is relentless.

Players move from clay to grass and then immediately into a North American hard-court swing that culminates in the US Open. The best players are expected to compete for major titles, Masters trophies, ranking points and mandatory events while maintaining enough physical freshness to survive best-of-five tennis.

Sinner’s season shows both sides of that equation.

He had been winning almost everything.

Then one injury removed Montreal, Cincinnati and the US Open from his calendar.

The Sports Encounter has repeatedly examined this tension between competitive ambition and physical preservation, including during Sinner and Djokovic’s Montreal withdrawals.

Who Benefits Most From Sinner’s Withdrawal?

Player	Why Sinner’s Absence Matters
Carlos Alcaraz	Defending champion loses his biggest recent rival from the draw
Alexander Zverev	Roland Garros champion gets a clearer route toward a second major
Novak Djokovic	One of his most difficult younger opponents is removed from his path
Taylor Fritz	2024 finalist no longer has to contend with the player who beat him for that title
Ben Shelton	American power game becomes more dangerous in an increasingly open field
Felix Auger-Aliassime	Potential deep-run path improves in a less top-heavy draw
Flavio Cobolli	Breakthrough season now carries greater Grand Slam opportunity

TSE Analysis: The US Open Has Lost Its Most Reliable Favorite

Sinner’s withdrawal matters because reliability had become his greatest weapon.

Plenty of players can produce a spectacular week.

Very few had been entering tournaments with Sinner’s level of week-to-week certainty.

His 44-3 record reflects a player who had learned how to dominate different surfaces without relying on one narrow style of tennis. He could grind through physical matches, overwhelm opponents with pace, defend from uncomfortable positions and maintain enough consistency to avoid the early-round collapses that often reshape Grand Slam draws.

That made him the safest pick in New York.

Alcaraz may have a higher creative ceiling in individual matches, but his wrist layoff creates uncertainty. Djokovic possesses unmatched Grand Slam experience, but age and recovery remain constant variables. Zverev has finally won a major, although the US Open still carries the memory of his 2020 collapse.

Sinner had fewer obvious questions than any of them.

Now he is gone.

The Draw Is Open, but Fitness Will Still Decide It

The temptation after a withdrawal of this magnitude is to immediately declare one player the new favorite.

The better interpretation is that the tournament has become less predictable.

Alcaraz is returning from four months away.

Djokovic continues to manage his workload carefully.

Zverev must prove his Roland Garros breakthrough translates into another major run.

Fritz, Shelton, Auger-Aliassime and Cobolli are all credible threats, but each still has to prove he can win seven matches in New York.

The men’s draw has more opportunity.

It also has more uncertainty.

Sinner’s Absence Changes the Rivalry Narrative

The most disappointing consequence for neutral fans may be the interruption of the Sinner-Alcaraz rivalry.

The two players had gradually taken control of the men’s game, combining athleticism, power, court coverage and tactical variety in a way that had separated them from much of the field.

Alcaraz defeated Sinner in the 2025 US Open final.

Sinner responded by reclaiming the world No. 1 ranking during the 2026 season and continued collecting titles until his knee injury.

The Sports Encounter has followed that changing power structure through Wimbledon, Cincinnati and the wider hard-court season, including our analysis of whether Sinner, Zverev or the next generation could stop Djokovic at Wimbledon.

New York was supposed to provide another major chapter.

Instead, the rivalry is temporarily on hold.

What Happens to Sinner Now?

The immediate priority is recovery.

Sinner’s statement suggests that his team is not willing to risk turning a persistent knee issue into a longer-term problem simply to protect a ranking or chase another major.

That is a sensible decision for a player who is only 24 and already owns five Grand Slam titles.

How long he remains out is not yet clear.

The next important questions will involve whether Sinner can return during the final stages of the ATP season, whether he can retain the No. 1 ranking and whether the knee requires a more substantial rehabilitation period.

Those questions can wait.

The US Open cannot.

2026 US Open Men’s Singles Picture After Sinner Withdrawal

• Jannik Sinner: Withdrawn with right knee injury
• Carlos Alcaraz: Returning from four-month wrist injury absence
• Alexander Zverev: Reigning Roland Garros champion
• Novak Djokovic: Chasing Grand Slam title No. 25
• Taylor Fritz: 2024 US Open finalist
• Ben Shelton: Former US Open semifinalist
• Felix Auger-Aliassime: Hard-court threat with major upside
• Flavio Cobolli: Roland Garros finalist and one of 2026’s breakthrough players
• Jack Draper: Withdrawn

Final Verdict

Jannik Sinner’s withdrawal has removed the most consistent player of the 2026 men’s season from the tournament where he had reached the final in each of the last two years.

That alone would be enough to transform the US Open.

The timing makes the impact even greater.

Carlos Alcaraz has only just confirmed his return from a four-month injury layoff. Novak Djokovic is still chasing history while managing an aging body. Alexander Zverev has finally broken through at Grand Slam level. Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton and a wider group of contenders now see a draw with more space than expected.

Sinner had spent much of 2026 making the men’s tour feel predictable.

His knee injury has done the opposite to New York.

The world No. 1 will not be there.

The US Open title race is suddenly wide open.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did Jannik Sinner withdraw from the 2026 US Open?

Sinner withdrew because of a persistent right knee injury that had already forced him to miss the Canadian Open and Cincinnati Open.

When did Sinner confirm his US Open withdrawal?

Sinner announced the decision on August 21, 2026, after returning to practice in Monte Carlo and determining with his team that he needed more recovery time.

What was Jannik Sinner’s 2026 record before the injury?

The official US Open reported that Sinner had a 44-3 record in 2026 before the knee problem interrupted his season.

How many Grand Slam titles has Jannik Sinner won?

Sinner has won five Grand Slam singles titles, including Wimbledon in 2026.

Who won the 2025 US Open men’s title?

Carlos Alcaraz defeated Sinner in the 2025 final and enters the 2026 tournament as defending champion.

Is Carlos Alcaraz playing the 2026 US Open?

Yes. Alcaraz confirmed his return after a four-month absence caused by a right wrist injury.

Who are the main US Open favorites after Sinner’s withdrawal?

Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev and Novak Djokovic lead the discussion, while Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Flavio Cobolli also gain opportunity from Sinner’s absence.

Has Jack Draper withdrawn from the US Open too?

Yes. Draper also withdrew on August 21. The Lawn Tennis Association confirmed his absence, while reports linked the decision to his long-running left arm problem.

When does the 2026 US Open begin?

The 2026 US Open runs from August 23 through September 13, with the main singles draws beginning on August 30.