Jannik Sinner Withdraws From 2026 US Open With Knee Injury

He did not announce a specific return date. The immediate plan is continued rehabilitation and recovery, rather than risking a return before he is ready. Reports described Sinner as sad and disappointed to be missing the tournament.

Why the absence is such a major setback

Sinner’s withdrawal interrupts a season in which he had been one of men’s tennis’ most dominant players. Through Wimbledon, he had compiled a 44–3 record and won six titles.

His 2026 campaign included defending his Wimbledon championship and becoming the first man to win five consecutive ATP Masters 1000 titles. The streak culminated in Madrid, where he defeated Alexander Zverev 6–1, 6–2 in the final.

That form made Sinner a central figure in the US Open title picture. His absence is therefore more than a change to the entry list: it removes the player who had supplied the draw’s clearest combination of ranking, recent results and hard-court credibility.

How Sinner’s withdrawal changes the men’s draw

Alexander Zverev inherits the top seed

With Sinner out, Alexander Zverev takes the top-seed position at Flushing Meadows. That is the clearest immediate seeding consequence, although it does not make the German an automatic favorite. Sinner had beaten Zverev in the Madrid final, and the change removes a potential obstacle from Zverev’s path while adding the pressure that comes with leading the field.

Carlos Alcaraz returns without Sinner in the field

Carlos Alcaraz is coming back after a wrist-injury layoff that kept him out since April. Sinner’s withdrawal means the two leading figures of their rivalry will not meet at this US Open, but Alcaraz’s own lack of recent match play makes his challenge difficult to assess.

He now has one fewer elite opponent to navigate, yet he must still prove that his timing, fitness and match sharpness have returned. That combination makes him a major contender without making the tournament predictable.

Djokovic, Shelton and Fritz gain opportunity

Novak Djokovic becomes a more credible title threat when one of the field’s dominant forces is removed, but Sinner’s absence does not guarantee Djokovic a clear path. Ben Shelton and Taylor Fritz also have a more realistic chance of advancing deep into the tournament, particularly as home-crowd interest increases around the American players.

The broader effect is a genuinely open men’s race. Zverev has the top seed, Alcaraz has the highest-profile comeback, Djokovic brings championship experience, and Shelton, Fritz and the rest of the field can see a more attainable route to the latter rounds. The evidence supports greater opportunity across the draw—not a single obvious replacement for Sinner.

Who replaced Sinner in the main draw?

Carlos Taberner was added to the US Open main draw after Sinner’s withdrawal.

That replacement fills Sinner’s vacant place in the field, but it does not replicate the competitive impact of losing the world No. 1. The more important change is the redistribution of seeding and opportunity throughout the draw.

The bottom line

Sinner’s withdrawal is a recovery decision, not an announced retirement or a stated long-term absence. His message was that the knee needed more time, and his missed Montreal and Cincinnati appearances show that the US Open decision followed an ongoing evaluation rather than a single late setback.

For the tournament, the consequences are immediate: Zverev becomes the top seed, Alcaraz returns without the rival most likely to challenge him, and Djokovic, Shelton, Fritz and other contenders enter a less predictable title race. For Sinner, the priority is completing his recovery before returning to competition.