Top-ranked Jannik Sinner withdrew from the U.S. Open on Friday, having been unable to recover from a right knee injury that has kept him out of competition since his Wimbledon triumph.

Sinner defeated Alexander Zverev last month to secure his second consecutive title at the All England Club, yet subsequently withdrew from the hard-court tournaments in Montreal and Cincinnati, which serve as preparatory events for the U.S. Open.

The 25-year-old Italian declared on Friday that he would not be sufficiently prepared to be available for the start of the main draw on Aug. 30.

Despite the sustained efforts I have invested alongside my team and medical staff, we have ultimately been compelled to make the difficult determination that I will be unable to compete at the US Open this year," Sinner wrote in a post on X.

Having been back on court in Monte Carlo over the last couple of days, we've realized that I still need more time to recover from my right knee issue.

I'm obviously very sad and disappointed, as New York holds a special place in my heart.

I was really looking forward to coming back and playing in the electric atmosphere in front of the great fans there.

Sinner, who secured the 2024 U.S. Open championship, was bested by Carlos Alcaraz in the final of the previous year's tournament.

Alcaraz took to social media on Thursday to declare his readiness to compete in New York, having been absent from the court since April owing to a right wrist injury.

The rivalry between those two has dominated men’s tennis in recent years, and they met in the last three Grand Slam finals in 2025.

Alcaraz took the most recent one with his four-set victory in New York.

That concluded Sinner's championship tenure, following his straight-sets victory over Taylor Fritz in the 2024 final.

Sinner boasts a 44-3 record with six titles this year.

His campaign was marred by a dramatic collapse at the French Open, where he squandered a two-set lead while succumbing to the heat in his second-round encounter against Juan Manuel Cerundolo.

He subsequently withdrew from competition until Wimbledon, where his triumph secured him five Grand Slam titles.

This will mark the first occasion on which Sinner has been absent from a Grand Slam tournament, dating back to his inaugural major appearance at the 2019 U.S. Open.

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