Sinner withdraws from another tournament, giving Zverev a chance to become world No. 1 for the first time

Jannik Sinner continues to struggle with a knee problem and will miss the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Shanghai. The Italian has not stepped onto the court since the Wimbledon final on July 12, and his enforced layoff has now reached 98 days.

“Unfortunately, I will not be able to play in the tournament in Shanghai,” Sinner announced on social media. He had previously withdrawn from the tournaments in Montreal and Cincinnati, the US Open and the Beijing Open. According to Marca, the five-time Grand Slam champion recently visited a clinic in Lyon, where he was examined by a knee specialist. An attempt to resume training in Monte Carlo also ended prematurely.

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Sinner’s absence gives Alexander Zverev the opportunity to reclaim the No. 1 spot in the ATP rankings. If the German wins the tournament in Beijing and then repeats that success in Shanghai, he could become the world’s top-ranked player on October 19.

At the same time, Sinner continues to lose ranking points. After missing out on 500 points in Beijing, he will drop another 50 in Shanghai. At the end of the season, the Italian will have 3,000 points to defend from his victories in Vienna, Paris and at the ATP Finals.