Jannik Sinner withdraws from China Open as recovery from injury continues

World number one ‌Jannik Sinner has withdrawn from the China Open, saying ⁠that he is ⁠not yet ready to compete as he continues to recover from the knee injury that also forced him to miss the ⁠US Open.

The 25-year-old Italian has not played since capturing his fifth major title at Wimbledon in July.

Sinner skipped the Canadian Open and withdrew from ⁠the Cincinnati Open, two key hard-court tune-up events, before also pulling out of the US Open.

“I’m very sorry to announce that I won’t be able to play in Beijing this year,” Sinner said on social media on Friday.

“My knee is not ‌where I would like it to be, and I’m not ready to compete yet, but I will do everything possible to be back on court as soon as I can.

“What I miss the most is, of course, the tournament, the fans and the atmosphere. I’ve had a great time in the past, including winning the title last year, and ⁠I’m very disappointed that I cannot defend it ⁠this year, but I’m very happy to come back next year.

“So I wish everyone a very good tournament, and I’ll see you all very soon on court again.”

Sinner defeated American Learner ⁠Tien in straight sets in the Beijing final last year to win his second China Open title after ⁠his triumph in 2023.

His withdrawal leaves Novak Djokovic ⁠as one of the headline attractions at the ATP 500 event.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion will return to the China Open after an 11-year absence as he looks to rebuild ‌momentum following a shock first-round exit at the US Open that saw him slip to world number 12.

The 39-year-old Serb is returning to Beijing, where ‌he ‌boasts a perfect record and a tournament-best six titles.

The men’s draw at the China Open runs from September 30 to October 6.