Jannik Sinner Ruled Out For Rest Of 2026 Due To Knee Injury

Last Updated:October 06, 2026, 3:25 PM IST

World No. 1 Jannik Sinner has ended his 2026 season early to focus on recovering from a persistent knee injury.

Jannik Sinnercelebrates winning against Germany’s Alexander Zverev during their men’s singles Wimbledon final (Picture credit: AFP)

Five-time Grand Slam champion Jannik Sinner on Tuesday announced that he is closing the season early, as he continues recuperating from a knee injury that is going to keep him away from tennis for a while.

The Italian hasn’t played since defending his Wimbledon title in July. The five-time Grand Slam champion said that he ‘needed to think about my long-term career’ before deciding to end his season early.

The 25-year-old made the announcement just over a month before he was due to defend his title at the ATP Finals in Turin.

“The doctors and I have decided that I need a course of treatment for my knee. The last couple of years gave me so many beautiful feelings and emotions and this year is going to be way different,” Sinner said while speaking in an Instagram video.

“I will do everything possible to get back 100%,” Sinner said.

He was the dominant player for much of the year, winning 44 of his 47 singles matches. Sinner won five consecutive Masters 1000 titles between March and May as well, becoming the youngest man to complete the ‘career Golden Masters’.

Sinner’s injury means Alexander Zverev is now highly likely to finish the year as world No. 1. The second-ranked Zverev, who has won the French Open and US Open this year, trails Sinner by 1,280 points in the live rankings.

But Sinner will be unable to defend the points he earned by winning titles in China, Vienna, Paris and the ATP Finals at the end of last year. He won six titles in 2026 across all three surfaces and lost just one singles match between March and July.

Sinner reached the Australian Open semifinals, where he lost to Novak Djokovic in five sets, before suffering a shock second-round exit at the French Open in May.

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Why did Jannik Sinner end his 2026 tennis season early?

Jannik Sinner decided to close his 2026 season early to focus on his long-term career and undergo necessary treatment and rehabilitation for a persistent knee injury.

When was the last time Jannik Sinner played a competitive match before his announcement?

The Italian tennis star has not played a match since July, when he successfully defended his Wimbledon title.

Who is expected to finish the year as the world No. 1 following Sinner’s absence?

Alexander Zverev is now heavily favored to finish the year as the world No. 1, trailing Sinner by 1,280 points in the live rankings while Sinner is unable to defend his remaining points.

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