After Alcaraz, Sinner drops the bombshell
Carlos Alcaraz has said yes. Jannik Sinner has just said no. Within hours of each other, Flushing Meadows got two announcements that told two completely different stories. On Thursday, the Spaniard confirmed he would be back on court for the US Open. On Friday, his Italian rival officially pulled out. New York will have to wait before it sees the world No. 1 defend the title he won in 2024.
The decision came in the middle of the afternoon, with the tournament still around 10 days away, scheduled from 30 August to 13 September. Sinner will not be there. The reason is clear enough: his right knee is still not ready.
“Even though I have worked tirelessly with my team and medical staff, we have had to make the difficult decision to withdraw from this year’s US Open,” the Italian said in a statement.
A tough call, no doubt. But probably the right one.
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The right knee still says no
For several days, Sinner had been back on court in Monte-Carlo with one simple aim: build up enough feel to try to play the final Grand Slam of the season. Those practice sessions gave a proper read on where he really stood. The verdict wasn’t the one he wanted.
“We went back on court in Monte-Carlo over the past few days and realised I still needed more time to recover from my right knee issue,” he said.
There was never any serious chance of forcing the schedule just to make a token appearance in New York. Sinner has chosen to shut down the doubts and let his body heal properly. It might sound frustrating with a major tournament so close, but it makes perfect sense when you look at the rest of the season.
Come back too soon, play through a knee that’s still hurting, and risk making things much worse. That could have cost him far more.
New York loses its champion
The withdrawal will sting for Sinner. The US Open is the event that properly launched him at the top of the sport. In 2024, the Italian lifted his first trophy at Flushing Meadows after a display of control and composure.
A year later, he was back in the final. This time, Carlos Alcaraz got his revenge.
The clash between the pair was always going to be one of the main attractions of this edition. It won’t happen now. Not this time.
“I am obviously very sad and disappointed, as New York holds a very special place in my heart,” Sinner said. “I was really looking forward to returning and playing in that electric atmosphere in front of the incredible fans there.”
Could hardly be any clearer. Sinner wanted to be there. His body had other ideas.
A season that now needs rebuilding
The world No. 1 has not given any further details on his schedule from here. And that is probably the biggest point in this announcement. Missing the US Open does not necessarily mean a long spell on the sidelines, but it does remind everyone that getting back to full fitness is not something you simply announce and then tick off.
For Sinner, the priority is no longer saving New York. It is getting that knee strong enough to return to competition in the right way.
So tennis loses one of its two headline acts for the American showdown. Alcaraz will be there. Sinner will be watching Flushing Meadows from the outside.
A strange sight for the world No. 1, all right. But in this story, the smartest win might simply be the one that comes from waiting.
Crédit photo : Kentaro Tominaga / The Yomiuri Shimbun via AFP
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