World No. 1 Jannik Sinner has decided to withdraw from the US Open due to a knee injury, opening up the opportunity to compete for the championship for Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev, Novak Djokovic and other players.
Despite trying our best with the professional and medical team, we still have to make a difficult decision that I will not be able to participate in this year's US Open," the 24-year-old Italian player shared on social media.
When returning to the training ground in Monte Carlo in the past few days, we realized that we still need more time to recover from the right knee injury. I am extremely sad and disappointed because New York always has a special place in my heart. I was very much looking forward to returning and playing in a passionate atmosphere in front of the wonderful fans here.
Sinner is the reigning Wimbledon champion and once won the US Open in 2024 before losing to Alcaraz in the final last year. He and Alcaraz have shared 10 of their last 11 Grand Slam titles.
With Sinner's absence, Alcaraz will take on the No. 1 seed position of the tournament, although he has not played since April due to a wrist injury. Meanwhile, Zverev - who just won his first Grand Slam title at Roland Garros earlier this year - will be the No. 2 seed.
Djokovic is still on his journey towards his 25th Grand Slam title in his career, although he has not won any major titles since the US Open 2023.
US home team representatives such as Ben Shelton and Taylor Fritz (who reached the US Open final) also have the opportunity to create a surprise, especially when Sinner has withdrawn and Alcaraz has just returned from injury.
This year, the singles champions will receive a record bonus of up to 5.5 million USD.
