World No 1 Sinner withdraws from Shanghai Masters as knee injury lingers

Jannik Sinner announced on Instagram that he will not compete at next week’s Rolex Shanghai Masters as he continues to recuperate from a knee injury. The Italian, ranked world number one, has not played since claiming the Wimbledon men’s singles crown in July and subsequently sat out the North American hard-court swing, including the US Open and the current ATP 500 tournament in Beijing. The Shanghai Masters, a Masters 1000 event running through October 18, will proceed without its top-ranked player and 2024 champion; Sinner beat Novak Djokovic to win the Shanghai title earlier this year. Tournament organizers still expect a strong field featuring multiple Grand Slam winners and top-ranked players such as Djokovic, Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev, Ben Shelton, Felix Auger-Aliassime and defending champion Valentin Vacherot. Sinner’s withdrawal has implications for the ATP rankings race. Alexander Zverev, who captured the French Open and US Open titles this season, is Sinner’s closest challenger for year-end No. 1. Zverev can claim the top ranking for the first time if he wins both the China Open in Beijing and the Shanghai Masters. The Italian said he was disappointed to miss Shanghai, noting his enjoyment of playing for the city’s fans, and expressed regret that he could not participate. No timetable for his return beyond the ongoing recovery was given in the statement.