Jannik Sinner has withdrawn from the China Open in Beijing as his right-knee recovery continues, ruling the world No. 1 out of the ATP 500 tournament he won in 2025.
Sinner announced on 25 September that he was not ready to compete, having said in a social-media video that his knee had not recovered to the level he wanted. He added that he would work to return to court as soon as possible, while expressing disappointment at being unable to defend his Beijing title.
The China Open is scheduled to run from 30 September to 6 October. Sinner’s decision extends an absence from competition that began after his Wimbledon final victory over Alexander Zverev in July, when he retained the title.
Beijing title defence ends before the tournament
Sinner won the 2025 China Open by beating American Learner Tien in the final, meaning he will not have the opportunity to retain the points attached to that title. Tennis Majors reported that those points now come off a ranking he has been defending without playing since the grass-court season.
Sky Sports reported that the 2025 victory was Sinner’s second China Open title, following his success in 2023. His withdrawal removes the defending champion from the Beijing draw before the tournament begins and leaves Novak Djokovic among its principal attractions, according to Sky.
The Italian had already skipped the Canadian Open and withdrawn from Cincinnati and the US Open because of the same right-knee issue. Beijing is therefore the latest event to be removed from his schedule during a period in which he has not played a match since Wimbledon.
Canada and Cincinnati were hard-court tune-up events before the US Open, according to Sky Sports. Sinner gave no confirmed return date.
His withdrawal changes the shape of the Beijing field, with Sky Sports reporting that Novak Djokovic will be among the principal attractions at the event. Djokovic is due to return to Beijing after an 11-year absence, according to Sky.
Pressure grows in the live year-end race
Sky Sports said the withdrawal was bad news for Sinner’s chances of finishing the year at No. 1 and listed Zverev ahead of him in its Live ATP Race.
Sky Sports also listed Ben Shelton on 4,430 points, Carlos Alcaraz on 4,050 and Flavio Cobolli on 3,530 in its live-race table. Those figures underline that the immediate focus in Beijing is on the gap between Zverev and Sinner, although results in the tournament will determine whether that difference changes.
Sinner remains identified by the reports as the world No. 1, while Sky Sports lists Zverev ahead of him in its Live ATP Race. Nevertheless, his inability to compete in Beijing leaves him unable to add points there and unable to defend last year’s tournament return.
| Live ATP Race, as listed by Sky Sports | Points |
|---|---|
| Alexander Zverev | 8,650 |
| Jannik Sinner | 7,950 |
The live-race table is a separate measure from the official world ranking cited by the reports. Sky Sports’ figures placed Zverev 700 points ahead of Sinner before Beijing, while Sinner was still described as world No. 1. With Sinner absent from an ATP 500 he won last year, the tournament gives him no opportunity to affect that listed live-race gap through match results in Beijing.
Sky Sports said Zverev could add another 500 points in Beijing while Sinner is sidelined. That does not establish what the standings will be after the event, but it illustrates why Sinner’s absence has immediate relevance to the contest to finish the season at No. 1.
The Shanghai Masters begins on 7 October, but Sinner gave no confirmed return date. ESPN reported that he did not specify when he could resume competition.
For now, the immediate consequence is clear: Sinner’s Beijing defence will not take place, and his return remains dependent on a knee problem he says is still preventing him from competing.