Jannik Sinner ends his 2026 season with a knee injury

World number one Jannik Sinner will not play again in 2026 after deciding to keep treating a knee injury that has kept him out since he won Wimbledon in July, the Italian said on Tuesday.

Hours later, his great rival Carlos Alcaraz won the Japan Open, his first title since returning from his own injury layoff.

“The 2026 season is officially over”

“Me, together with the doctors, have decided that I need a course of treatment for my knee which means the 2026 season is officially over,” Sinner, 25, said in a video posted on X, Dawn reported.

“At the moment, I also need to think about my long-term career. So I’ll do everything possible to get back 100 percent,” he said. His team said he would follow a course of treatment for inflammation in the knee, to give him time to recover before preparing for 2027.

What he is missing

Sinner has not played since beating Alexander Zverev in the Wimbledon final on July 12. He has already missed:

• The North American hardcourt swing
• The US Open
• The Asian swing, now under way

He will also miss the European indoor events and the season-ending ATP Finals in Turin, which he won in each of the last two years. “The last couple of years, especially the ending in Turin, gave me so many beautiful feelings and emotions which this year is going to be way different,” he said.

A door opens for Zverev

Sinner’s absence could allow Zverev to finish the year as world number one. The German, ranked second, has closed the gap after winning the French Open and the US Open this year.

Alcaraz back on top in Tokyo

In Tokyo, top seed and defending champion Alcaraz beat Jiri Lehecka of the Czech Republic 7-6 (7/4), 6-4 in the final, The Express Tribune reported, citing AFP.

• First title since February: his last trophy came at the Qatar Open
• Third title of 2026, including the Australian Open, and the 27th of his career
• Third event back: after a wrist injury, he reached the US Open quarter-finals and played the Laver Cup

Lehecka, ranked 19th, broke Alcaraz’s serve straight away. The Spaniard broke back in a long game and needed two spectacular drop shots to win the first-set tie-break. He broke again midway through the second set and closed out the win.

Alcaraz now heads to the Shanghai Masters, which begins on Wednesday. Last year he pulled out of Shanghai at the last minute after winning in Tokyo, citing “physical issues” and criticising tennis’s packed schedule.

Elsewhere in Asia

In Beijing, Novak Djokovic, 39, plays Alex de Minaur in the China Open final on Tuesday, after Daniil Medvedev was disqualified in their semi-final for hitting a spectator with a ball.

Why it matters

With Sinner out, the men’s tour loses its world number one for the rest of the year, and the race for the year-end top ranking and the Turin title is wide open. Alcaraz’s win in Tokyo shows he is back to his best at the right time. Read our report on Djokovic reaching the China Open final.

This article draws on reporting by Dawn, The Express Tribune and AFP.