By Richard Pagliaro | Wednesday, September 2, 2026
Photo credit: Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters Facebook
NEW YORK—A right knee injury knocked Jannik Sinner out of the US Open.
The world No. 1 is targeting a return in Beijing this month.
Wimbledon winner Sinner and Grand Slam king Novak Djokovic head the entry list for the China Open in Beijing, the tournament announced.
The China Open is set for September 30-October 6th at the Beijing Olympic Tennis Centre.
📢 The 2026 China Open men's singles player list is officially announced!
— China Open (@ChinaOpen) September 1, 2026
🔥 Two generations of tennis leaders —Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic — headline the field, with 7 of the world's top 10 gathering in Beijing.
📅Sep 28 – Oct 6 | National Tennis Center#ChinaOpen pic.twitter.com/fLAlOGGdd5
Sinner, who has not played a match since successfully defending Wimbledon, is the reigning China Open champion. Sinner defeated Alex de Minaur in the semifinals then swept American Learner Tien, 6-2, 6-2, in the 2025 Beijing final.
The 24-year-old Italian has not played since his four-set win over Alexander Zverev in the Wimbledon final as he nurses a nagging right knee issue.
Overall, Sinner has posted a 44-3 record and collected six tournament titles in 2026.
I am so glad to see Sinner return to tennis and hope that the knee has fully recovered. While it was nice for the field to have opportunities to compete without the top two both playing, the intense rivalry has been missed too. Hoping that the lack of “match toughness” is not too much of a challenge for a strong come-back to the top!