Sinner ends 2026 season to undergo knee treatment

Italian world No 1 Jannik Sinner said on 6 October that he will not compete again during the 2026 tennis season after deciding with doctors to undergo treatment for a knee injury, ruling him out of the remaining tournaments in Europe and the Davis Cup Finals.¹²³⁴

Treatment before preparations for 2027

Sinner said the decision followed consultations with his doctors. “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. His team said medical advisers had recommended treatment for inflammation in the knee.²³

The treatment is being undertaken now to allow time for recovery before Sinner begins preparing for 2027, his team said. The 25-year-old also said he had to consider the longer term and would try to return at full fitness. The reports did not give details of the treatment or a precise date for his return.¹²³

Remaining tournaments ruled out

Sinner will miss the Paris Masters, the ATP Finals in Turin and the Davis Cup Finals. ABC Australia also reported that his absence covers the European indoor hardcourt swing. Earlier in the year, he missed the North American hardcourt swing and the US Open, and withdrew from his China Open title defence and the Shanghai Masters, according to ABC Australia and Sky Sports.²³⁴

The BBC reported that Sinner had not played competitively since retaining his Wimbledon title in July. EFE placed his last official match on 12 July, when he completed a second consecutive Wimbledon triumph. Sky Sports and ABC Australia reported that he beat Alexander Zverev in the final.¹²³⁴

A successful season cut short

Sinner entered 2026 as the winner of the Australian Open in both 2024 and 2025. The BBC reported that he finished this season with 44 singles victories and three defeats, including only one loss between March and July. The BBC added that he captured five Masters 1000 tournaments in a row between March and May, making him the youngest player ever to achieve the career Golden Masters.¹²³

According to the BBC, Sinner lost a five-set Australian Open semi-final to Novak Djokovic and then suffered a second-round French Open defeat by Juan Manuel Cerundolo, which ended a 30-match winning run. It also said Sinner finished the season having won 10 of his 11 matches against players ranked in the top 10.¹

Year-end ranking in play

Sinner’s withdrawal may affect who finishes 2026 at world number one. The BBC reported that second-ranked Alexander Zverev was 1,280 points behind Sinner in the live standings and was highly likely to replace him by the end of the year. According to the BBC, he will be unable to retain the ranking points he earned by winning events in China, Vienna and Paris, as well as the ATP Finals.¹

ABC Australia reported that Zverev reduced the standings deficit by claiming the French Open and US Open titles. Sky Sports reported that Zverev had 9,720 points to Sinner’s 11,000, although it also noted that Zverev was eliminated by Novak Djokovic in the China Open quarter-finals. The final year-end ranking remains undecided.²³