Tennis world number one Jannik Sinner has brought a premature end to his season due to a knee injury.
The Italian has not played competitively since defending his Wimbledon title in July, when he beat Alexander Zverev in four sets for his fifth grand slam title..
“Me, together with the doctors, have decided that I need a course of treatment for my knee, which means that the 2026 season is officially over,” Sinner said in a video posted on social media.
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The 25-year-old’s announcement came just over a month before he was due to defend his crown at the ATP Finals in Turin.
Sinner had finished the previous two seasons on a high by winning in Turin, leading to “so many beautiful feelings and emotions”, he said.
“This year is going to be way different,” he acknowledged. “But at the moment, I also need to think about my long-term career.”
He has had an impressive, if injury-hit season, winning Wimbledon in July and five Masters 1000 events. He has won all six finals he has played in this year.
The Italian’s 94 percent winning record in 2026 is the best of his career, even beating his figures from the previous two seasons in each of which he won two Grand Slams and the ATP Finals.
A statement from Sinner’s management team said that he would “follow a course of treatment for inflammation in his knee”, which would help him “to recover before beginning preparations for 2027”.
Sinner’s injury means that Alexander Zverev is highly likely to replace him as world number one by the end of the year.
Second-ranked Zverev, who has won the French Open and US Open this year, trails Sinner by 1,280 points in the live rankings.
However, Sinner will be unable to defend the points he claimed with title triumphs in China, Vienna, Paris and the ATP Finals at the end of last year.