Former British No.1 Reflects on Jannik Sinner’s Withdrawal From the US Open

World No.1 Jannik Sinner created one of the shocks of the season after withdrawing from the US Open. The Italian was the undisputed favorite heading into New York after winning his 5th Grand Slam title at Wimbledon in July.

Greg Rusedski was one of the tennis analysts who reacted to this news. The former British No.1 saw this development coming after the Wimbledon campaign. He was speaking on his podcast Off Court with Greg Rusedski.

Well, on reflection, I was looking at Wimbledon, remember he had that terrible slide in the opening round that he got up from and his knee went in all sorts of different directions and he still managed to power through and win the title. So I think he might’ve tweaked his knee at Wimbledon, but he obviously found a way to get through, win the championships, and we haven’t really seen him since. So from my point of view, the knee was probably bothering him through the championships, this is all speculation, of course, found a way to win that, then went to go visit his doctors and might’ve tweaked it again in practise.

Sinner withdrew from the Canadian Open, where he won his first Masters 1000. This denied him a chance to win the Calendar Year Masters 1000. However, the Cincinnati Open withdrawal raised a few eyebrows, considering his knee situation looked serious.

He’s taking the smart route. Let’s not play, let’s take care of the body. I’ve got to think of the next decade. And for all of us, it’s a bit of surprise because we were talking about, okay, is he going to win all the Master series in one year, what’s going to happen with Jannick Sinner, but you know, he consulted his doctors, didn’t play a lead-up tournament, and decided to pull out. So that’s a smart thing. We hope it’s not too serious because we’ve missed Carlos Alcaraz for such a long period of time; we don’t want to miss Jannik Sinner. This rivalry was heating up, we were having our new big three, as you described it, whether you add Zverev or you add Djokovic in the mix and everything was getting exciting. So, missing Sinner at the US Open is a big blow, and who knows where Carlos is going to be when he gets to New York as well. So, so many question marks.

Sinner has not won any of the hard-court Grand Slams for the first time since 2023. He won both the Australian Open and the US Open in 2024, then defended his Australian Open crown in 2025.

Jannik Sinner withdraws from the US Open

Jannik Sinner has pulled out of the 2026 US Open because of a right knee injury. The world No. 1 said that, despite working closely with his team and medical staff, he needs additional time to recover before returning to competition.

Sinner’s last appearance came at Wimbledon, where he captured his fifth Grand Slam title. He defeated Alexander Zverev in the final after overcoming a difficult opening-round match against Miomir Kecmanovic.

The withdrawal ends Sinner’s run of competing in every Grand Slam since his major debut at the 2019 US Open. His absence is particularly significant after an outstanding 2026 season in which he has collected six titles and posted a 44-3 win-loss record.

Sinner plans to remain in Europe while continuing his rehabilitation with his medical and performance teams. His goal is to recover in time for the upcoming Asian swing, including tournaments in Beijing and Shanghai.

Carlos Alcaraz’s greatest moments at the US Open

Carlos Alcaraz has created several unforgettable memories at the US Open since emerging as a major tennis star. His exciting style, energy, and connection with the New York crowd have made the tournament one of the most important stages of his career.

One of his breakthrough performances came in 2021, when the 18-year-old defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas in an extraordinary five-set battle before reaching his first Grand Slam quarter-final. A year later, Alcaraz produced another classic against Jannik Sinner, saving a match point and winning an epic five-hour contest.

The biggest moment arrived in 2022 when Alcaraz defeated Casper Ruud in the final to claim his first Grand Slam title. The victory also made him the youngest player at that time to become world No. 1, marking a historic turning point in his career.

More recently, Alcaraz added another memorable chapter by beating Novak Djokovic in the 2025 semi-final before overcoming Sinner in the final to win his second US Open title. These performances have strengthened his special relationship with New York and established the tournament as a key part of his career story.

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