Sinner pulls out of China Open as knee recovery goes on

Jannik Sinner has withdrawn from the China Open. The world No 1 will not defend his title in Beijing as he continues to recover from a right knee injury. He confirmed the decision on Friday, 25 September.

Sinner made the announcement in a video posted on social media platform X. He said his knee is not where he would like it to be and that he is not ready to compete yet BBC. The injury is to his right knee Fox Sports.

It stretches his time away from the tour. Sinner has not played competitively since beating Alexander Zverev in the Wimbledon final. The same knee problem ruled him out of the US Open in August.

Beijing has been a happy venue for him. He won the China Open in 2023 and again in 2025. There will be no third straight title this year.

This year's event starts on Wednesday and concludes on 6 October. Zverev is still expected to play, alongside Novak Djokovic. Djokovic is set to return to the China Open after an 11-year absence Reuters.

For fans, this means waiting a little longer. No defence. No Wimbledon final rematch with Zverev. Not yet.

Sinner gave no date for his return. His message was simple: the knee needs more time. The tour moves to Beijing without its top-ranked man.