The star power at the Cincinnati Open—and potentially the US Open—has taken another hit.
On Sunday, Jannik Sinner withdrew from the Ohio-based tournament, citing issues with his right knee. In a statement released by the tournament, the ATP’s No. 1–ranked men’s player expressed hope that he’ll be able to play in the US Open, which is set to begin its main draw on Aug. 30.
“After consulting with my doctors and my team, I have to announce that I need to withdraw from the Masters 1000 tournament in Cincinnati,” Sinner’s statement reads. “My right knee has been bothering me and even though we have been working hard with my medical team, I have to accept that I’m not ready to compete yet.
“I’m very disappointed not to be able to play in Cincinnati and wish [tournament director] Bob [Moran] and his whole team a great and successful event. I can’t wait to be back next year and I’m now focusing on getting ready for the US Open.”
Sinner’s announcement comes five days after the ATP’s No. 2 men’s player, Carlos Alcaraz, also withdrew from the Cincinnati Open. Alcaraz has been sidelined with a wrist injury since April, with the 23-year-old having missed the French Open and Wimbledon this year.
With Cincinnati serving as the final warm-up for the US Open, the status of the world’s top two players for the fourth and final Grand Slam of the year is now in question. Alcaraz defeated Sinner in the final of last year’s US Open, while Sinner beat Taylor Fritz to win the tournament in 2024. Aside from Alcaraz (2025) and Sinner (2024), the most recent player to win the US Open was Novak Djokovic in 2023.
While Sinner’s availability for the singles portion of the US Open remains unclear, he won’t be participating in the mixed doubles tournament in Queens. The 24-year-old—who was reportedly considering a boycott of the US Open’s mixed doubles tournament amid calls to improve prize money and revenue sharing—wasn’t announced for its draw, which was released in late July.
As for Cincinnati, third-ranked Alexander Zverev now enters the tournament as its top-ranked player, with the rest of the top 10—including No. 5 Djokovic—all expected to participate. Alcaraz won last year’s Cincinnati Open after Sinner was forced to retire 23 minutes into their final due to illness.
