Jannik Sinner has not hit a competitive ball since he beat Alexander Zverev in the Wimbledon final on July 12. His name still sits on the China Open entry list alongside Novak Djokovic and Zverev, and the tournament begins on September 30 in Beijing.
According to a report from Sportmediaset picked up by international outlets, Sinner is set to fly to Beijing later this week, with positive responses reported from the closing phase of his knee rehabilitation. He has reached the final in all three of his previous Beijing appearances and won the title in 2023 and 2025.
The specifics of that injury emerged only in late August. Sky Sport Italy, citing sources close to the player, described the problem as “extra-articular tendon inflammation” in the right knee, characterised as “the least serious type” of knee tendon inflammation. It was treated with rest and physical therapy at the JMedical facility in Turin.
Volandri: 10 days of training and counting
Italy’s Davis Cup captain Filippo Volandri offered the first tangible timeline earlier this month.
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“Jannik has already been training for about ten days, gradually increasing the workload,” Volandri told reporters.
“For Jannik, for now, the priority is to come back to 100% on the tour.”
Pescosolido lays out the Vienna alternative
Former Italian pro Stefano Pescosolido, speaking earlier this month, sketched two paths back. The first is the one Sportmediaset now describes: play Beijing and then Shanghai. The second is skipping Asia altogether and coming back at the Vienna Open on October 26 to prepare for the indoor European leg and the ATP Finals in Turin.
“I think he’s being a little more cautious physically. He wants to avoid any setbacks,” Pescosolido said of Sinner. “The Grand Slams are the main objective, and I imagine that next year he’ll want to be in peak condition to try and win as many as possible.”
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Djokovic returns to Beijing after a decade
Sinner remains world No. 1, but the extended absence has allowed Zverev, at No. 2, to pressure the top of the rankings. Djokovic returns to Beijing for the first time since 2015 with a 29-0 record and six titles at the event, and he is one of several players who stand to gain if the world No. 1 sits out another month.
The China Open runs from September 30 to October 6. The Vienna Open begins on October 26.
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