For Sinner, this is his fourth consecutive withdrawal: he will miss Beijing as well
A knee injury is keeping the world number one out of tournaments. His last match was on 12 July, the Wimbledon final. Defending his ATP number one ranking is looking increasingly difficult
2' min read
2' min read
Jannik Sinner will not be taking part in the ATP 500 tournament in Beijing. The Italian tennis player himself made the announcement in a video posted on his social media channels: “I’m very sorry to have to announce that I won’t be able to play in Beijing this year. My knee isn’t yet in the condition I’d like it to be in, and I’m not yet able to compete, but I’ll do everything I can to get back on court as soon as possible. I’ll really miss the atmosphere in Beijing, and I’ll be very happy to return next year.”
The world number one, and reigning China Open champion, has been sidelined since 12 July, the day of the Wimbledon final which he won against Alexander Zverev: since then, he has not played a single official match and, in the meantime, has already had to withdraw first from the Masters 1000 tournaments in Montreal and Cincinnati, and then from the US Open (the first time in his career that he has missed a Grand Slam due to injury).
Beijing, despite a trial run last week alongside Flavio Cobolli – who seemed to have given the go-ahead for his return – marks the fourth consecutive withdrawal due to a problem with his right knee. The focus now shifts to the Shanghai Masters 1000, scheduled for 7–18 October, although his participation there too remains dependent on how his knee responds.
As far as the rankings are concerned, Sinner’s failure to defend his 500 points in Beijing will see him drop to 11,000 points from Monday 5 October, further complicating his bid to retain the top spot: Alexander Zverev, buoyed by a season highlighted by double Grand Slam titles at Roland Garros and the US Open, is hot on his heels with 9,690 points and, should he win both the Beijing and Shanghai tournaments, would gain 1,365 points compared with last year’s results.
The financial rewards are substantial: the Beijing tournament offers increasing prize money depending on the round reached (around 27,461 euros simply for being in the draw, 51,490 euros in the round of 16, €96,477 in the quarter-finals), up to a maximum prize fund of over €658,000 in the event of victory. It should be noted that this figure represents a potential loss of earnings.
There is, however, a precedent that gives cause for optimism: this is not the first time Sinner has been sidelined for a long period. Between 9 February and 4 May 2025, the Italian served a three-month ban agreed with WADA over the clostebol case, missing Doha, Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo and Madrid.
