Jannik Sinner Ends Season Early Due to Knee Injury

World number one Jannik Sinner has announced he will not play again in 2026, citing an ongoing right knee injury. The Italian has been sidelined since defending his Wimbledon title in July.

"Me together with the doctors have decided that I need a course of treatment for my knee," Sinner said in an Instagram video. "The last couple of years gave me so many beautiful feelings and emotions, which this year is going to be way different. I will do everything possible to get back 100%."

Sinner has had a dominant season, winning 44 of 47 singles matches. He achieved the 'career Golden Masters' by winning five consecutive Masters 1000 titles between March and May, becoming the youngest male player to reach this milestone. He secured six titles across all three surfaces and lost only one singles match between March and July.

His decision to end the season early means that second-ranked Alexander Zverev is likely to take over the world number one ranking by the end of the year. Zverev trails Sinner by 1,280 points in the live rankings. Sinner will be unable to defend the points earned from title victories in China, Vienna, Paris, and the ATP Finals at the end of the previous year.

Sinner's season highlights include reaching the semifinals of the Australian Open, where he lost to Novak Djokovic in a five-set match. He experienced a surprising second-round exit at the French Open in May, ending a 30-match winning streak with a loss to Juan Manuel Cerundolo. However, he rebounded at Wimbledon, ultimately defeating Zverev in the final to defend his title, despite a challenging first-round match.

Last year, Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz met in three of the four Grand Slam finals. This year, they played each other only once, with Sinner winning the Monte Carlo Masters final to reclaim the world number one ranking. Sinner concludes the year with a 10-1 record against top-10 opponents, his sole defeat coming against Djokovic at the Australian Open.