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

What the report says

Jannik Sinner, the world No. 1 in men’s tennis, has withdrawn from next week’s Shanghai Masters as he continues to recover from a knee injury. Al Jazeera, citing Reuters, reported on 3 October 2026 that the 25-year-old Italian has not played since winning Wimbledon in July and has already missed the North American hard-court swing, including the US Open, as well as the ongoing ATP 500 event in Beijing.

In a social media message quoted by the outlet, Sinner said he would not be able to take part in the Rolex Shanghai Masters this year and expressed disappointment at missing the event, where he was the defending champion. He won the Shanghai title in 2024 by beating Novak Djokovic in the final.

The tournament runs from Wednesday to 18 October and is expected to feature a strong field that includes Djokovic, Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz and Daniil Medvedev, among others. Sinner’s withdrawal could affect the race for year-end No. 1, with Zverev identified as his closest challenger. The German can move to the top of the rankings if he wins both the China Open in Beijing and the Shanghai Masters. The broader context is that late-season Masters events can shape both rankings and momentum heading into the final stretch of the ATP calendar.