The two Italian showpieces of November will go on without their world No. 1. In a video message on Tuesday, Jannik Sinner said he will stay off tour until a course of knee treatment is complete.
“Me together with the doctors have decided that I need a course of treatment for my knee, which means that the 2026 season is officially over,” he said.
Sinner framed the call as a long-term one.
“The last couple of years, especially the ending in Turin, gave me so many beautiful feelings and emotions, which this year is going to be way different, but at the moment I also need to think about my long-term career,” he said.
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“So I will do everything possible to get back 100%.”
Turin and Bologna lose their headline act
He has not played since July, when he beat Alexander Zverev in four sets at Wimbledon to retain the title. That victory, his fifth Grand Slam, left the Italian with a tour-leading six trophies in 2026, including Monte-Carlo and Miami, and ten wins over top-10 opponents, the most on tour.
Turin would have been his third ATP Finals as defending champion. Sinner went through both the 2024 and 2025 editions unbeaten, each title claimed without dropping a set.
The Davis Cup Final 8 then follows at the SuperTennis Arena in Bologna, where Italy is three-time defending champion and host nation.
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Zverev has an open run at year-end No. 1
Zverev has been the main beneficiary all season of Sinner’s absence from the hard-court swing. In the Race to Turin, which decides the ATP Finals field, the German had already moved past Sinner 8,750 points to 7,950 before Tuesday’s announcement. In the 52-week rankings he is 1,280 points behind at world No. 2, with the full indoor swing and the ATP Finals still to count.
Carlos Alcaraz, who missed four and a half months earlier in 2026 with a wrist injury, remains a factor with his Australian Open title.
Sinner had already withdrawn from the US Open with the same knee problem and sat out the entire North American hard-court swing. His return is now not expected before the Australian Open in January.
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