Jannik Sinner is still scheduled to play at the Cincinnati Open. For now. The next Masters 1000's main draw starts on August 13, and Carlos Alcaraz has already withdrawn from the event because of the wrist injury he suffered in April. Sinner might be next.
The ATP No. 1 chose not to participate in the Canadian Open, but so did Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic. Sinner didn't necessarily cite a reason for not playing in Montreal. Some tennis fans might have assumed he just needed a rest.
That could still be true, but something else might be afoot as well. Or, more specifically, aknee. According to Eurosport Italy, Sinner is "doubtful" for Cincinnati. The player had a not-so-routine medical checkup this week and has a "slight" knee issue.
Jannik Sinner's health issues might rightfully worry tennis fans
Anything "slight" wouldn't seem to keep the Italian out of two straight Masters, one would assume. This implies the problem is a larger one, though he is still expected to play at the US Open, which begins at the end of August.
Sinner hasn't played since winning Wimbledon, and he didn't play any tournaments before the grass-court major since the French Open. In other words, Jannik Sinner might only play Grand Slam events between May and the middle of September. He is seemingly on the Djokovic schedule in the summer of 2026, except Djokovic is expected to play in Cincinnati.
Plus, Novak Djokovic has earned the right to only play majors if he wishes at this point. That is what winning 24 Grand Slams and spending far more weeks as ATP No. 1 than anyone else will get a person. Sinner has the right to choose which tournaments he plays, too, of course, but he is also still building his legacy.
At the French Open, he was soundly beaten by the heat in the second round and dropped a five-set match to Juan Manuel Cerundolo after the Italian was only one game from moving into the third round. That isn't the first time Sinner has suffered a heat-related loss. It might not be his last.
The knee problem is just as worrisome, and potentially longer-lasting, though hopefully not. Sinner could just be avoiding the Masters 1000 in North America because the summer has been brutally hot and he wants to be in his best shape for the US Open. Or maybe he does have a twingy knee problem, one that could flare up at any moment.
No official word has been announced that Sinner is withdrawing from the Cincinnati Masters yet. That might be expected, however. The next tournament to keep an eye on is whether he will skip the US Open. If that happens, there is a real problem.
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