The US Open has lost one of its biggest stars before the first ball has even been struck.
Jannik Sinner, the world No. 1, has withdrawn from the tournament with a right knee injury, ending hopes of seeing the Italian return to the New York stage and, perhaps more significantly, postponing another chapter in his extraordinary rivalry with Carlos Alcaraz.
Sinner confirmed his decision on Friday after spending the past few weeks managing the injury. The 24-year-old had already withdrawn from the Cincinnati Open and subsequently underwent medical assessments in Milan and Turin. Despite returning to court in Monte Carlo with his team, Sinner acknowledged that he still needs more time to recover.
The decision is a significant one, but hardly an unexpected one given the circumstances.
“Even though I have been working hard with my team and my medical staff, we have now had to make the difficult decision that I will not be able to compete at the US Open this year,” Sinner said.
For a player who has established himself as the dominant force at the top of men’s tennis, there is little incentive to take an unnecessary risk. The US Open is a Grand Slam, but a knee injury that has not fully healed is not something to gamble with, particularly with an entire season and career still ahead.
Yet Sinner’s withdrawal changes the narrative around the tournament dramatically.
For tennis fans, the biggest disappointment is simple: Sinner vs Alcaraz will have to wait again.
The two have become the defining rivalry of the new generation, repeatedly meeting on the biggest stages and pushing each other to extraordinary levels. In 2025, they met in three consecutive Grand Slam finals, turning their rivalry into the central storyline of men’s tennis.
At the end of last year, with the pair having collectively won eight successive Grand Slam titles, another blockbuster meeting between them seemed almost inevitable.
Instead, 2026 has repeatedly found ways to keep them apart.
Alcaraz has been sidelined since April with a right wrist injury and will now return to competitive tennis at the US Open. Sinner, meanwhile, will watch from the sidelines as he continues his recovery.
That means Alcaraz gets his comeback without having to navigate the one opponent who has arguably pushed him hardest over the last two seasons.
It also gives the Spaniard an opportunity to add another Grand Slam title to his collection. Alcaraz currently leads Sinner 7-5 in major titles, and while questions remain over his competitive sharpness after such a long layoff, the absence of the world No. 1 undeniably opens up his side of the draw.
With Sinner out, Alexander Zverev will move into the No. 1 seeding position, while Alcaraz will be the No. 2 seed when the US Open singles main draws get underway on August 30.
New York will still have its stars. Alcaraz will still have his comeback. But the match everyone wanted to see has once again slipped away.
Sinner and Alcaraz have spent the last few years building a rivalry tennis desperately wanted. For now, the next epic will have to wait.
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