Sinner is also pulling out of the Shanghai Masters: his world number one ranking is at risk

Jannik Sinner’s return to the court has been postponed once again. The Italian tennis player, currently world number one, has announced that, following this week’s tournament in Beijing , he will also miss the Shanghai Masters 1000 , scheduled for 7–18 October.

“Unfortunately, I won’t be able to take to the court at the Rolex Shanghai Masters this year as I’d have hoped. I’ve always enjoyed playing in Shanghai, and I’m sorry I won’t be able to do so next week. Thank you for your support – see you next year,” said Sinner in a message posted to his Instagram Stories.

The world number one has not played since winning the final against Alexander Zverev at Wimbledon last July. Since then, due to inflammation in his right knee, he has been forced to miss the Cincinnati Masters 1000, Montreal and Shanghai, to withdraw from a Grand Slam due to injury for the first time in his career (the US Open), and, at this stage, to miss the entire Asian season.

Unable to take to the court to defend the title he won in Beijing last year, Sinner is left watching Zverev’s charge, who has a mathematical chance of overtaking the Italian and becoming world number one for the first time right here in Shanghai. However, to achieve this, the German must win the title both in Beijing (where he will face Djokovic in the quarter-finals) and at the penultimate Masters 1000 event of the season.

To see Sinner back on court at this stage , we will have to wait for the Six Kings Slam , the exhibition tournament scheduled to take place in Riyadh from 21 to 24 October. The Italian tennis player, a two-time winner in Riyadh, is expected to make his debut in the quarter-finals against Alex De Minaur, before potentially facing Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals. On the other side of the draw is Carlos Alcaraz, who will face the winner of the match between Alexander Zverev and Taylor Fritz.