Jannik Sinner is back on a tennis court. The Italian was filmed hitting at the Circolo Stampa Sporting in Turin on 8 September, his first on-court session since he pulled out of the US Open with a right knee problem, in a clip that spread quickly across social media as the tour waited for a firm return date.

That date is not London. Sinner will skip the Laver Cup at The O2 Arena on 25-27 September and is instead aiming for the China Open in Beijing, which begins on 30 September. He is the defending champion in Beijing. According to Sky Sports Italy, the priority is a full recovery, with training now moved from Turin to Monte Carlo.

Sinner has never played the Laver Cup since its launch in 2017, and Team Europe’s roster was completed in July around Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev, Casper Ruud, Flavio Cobolli, Jakub Mensik and Rafael Jodar, under captain Yannick Noah.

No ligament or meniscus damage

The problem is extra-articular tendon inflammation in the right knee. As Puntodebreak reported, medical checks found no damage to the meniscus, cartilage, ACL or PCL, and the inflammation sits outside the joint itself.

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Sinner completed a three-week treatment programme at J Medical in Turin before receiving clearance to resume high-intensity training. One day before the Turin session, at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza on 7 September, he told reporters “everything is fine” when asked about the knee.

Missed Canada, Cincinnati and the US Open

The withdrawal cost Sinner the entire North American hardcourt block. He pulled out of the US Open on 21 August, having already skipped the Canadian Masters and Cincinnati.

“Even though I have been working hard with my team and my medical staff, we have now had to make the difficult decision that I will not be able to compete at the US Open this year,” he said in his withdrawal statement.

He remains world No. 1, but the race has tightened. Alexander Zverev has closed ground in his absence, and Alcaraz is two places behind at No. 3.

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Alcaraz already back from his own injury

Carlos Alcaraz reached the US Open quarter-finals in his first tournament back from a right-wrist tenosynovitis picked up in Barcelona in April, and he heads to London this month as Team Europe’s headline name.

The Shanghai Masters follows on 7 October, and the ATP has confirmed Sinner will defend his Vienna 500 title from 24 October to 1 November, where his career record at the event stands at 17-4.

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