Jannik Sinner might come back faster than we thought after the specific injury that made him skip the US Open was revealed.
Jannik Sinner’s return to tennis after his surprise withdrawal from the US Open is starting to become clearer now that his injury has been confirmed.
Before the US Open started on Sunday, August 30, the world No. 1 announced he wouldn’t be playing this year. “Even though I’ve been working hard with my team and medical staff, we’ve had to make the tough decision that I can’t compete at the US Open this time,” the 25-year-old shared on Instagram.
Sinner has been out since defending his Wimbledon men’s singles title—his only major win this year. His withdrawal was because of a mysterious knee injury he got between Wimbledon and the US Open. He kept the details and severity private at first.
Italian news source Gazzetta now says the injury isn’t as bad as a major knee problem that would end his season. It’s actually inflammation, which means he might be back sooner than many thought.
His recovery plan says he should stay off the courts for at least eight days, so he can’t fully practice until about September 6. But this break could last longer since Sinner has already picked when he wants to return.
Reports say he’s aiming to come back at the China Open in Beijing, which starts on September 30. Since he won that tournament last year, it makes sense he wouldn’t want to miss it. Plus, he needs to defend those 500 points, especially with Carlos Alcaraz back in the mix.
Luckily for Sinner, he won’t have to face Alcaraz in Beijing because Alcaraz is set to play the Japan Open the same week.
With Sinner out, the 2024 US Open is shaping up to be a very open tournament. Alcaraz is the favorite as he makes his return after a wrist injury sidelined him for four months. But since it’s his first tournament in a while, he might not be at his best, which gives others a chance.
Novak Djokovic could see this as a great chance to win his record 25th Grand Slam after 11 tournaments without a title. Germany’s Alexander Zverev will try to add a second major this year after winning the French Open. Meanwhile, American players Ben Shelton and Taylor Fritz will aim to win a major on home soil.