Jannik Sinner withdraws from US open due to knee injury, Draper and Rune also out

SINNER. Italy's Jannik Sinner reacts during his final match against Germany's Alexander Zverev at the 2026 edition of Wimbledon

Toby Melville/Reuters

With world No. 1 Jannik Sinner withdrawing from the US Open due to knee injury, Spain's Carlos Alcaraz emerges as the top contender for the title

World number one Jannik Sinner has withdrawn from the US Open due to a persistent right knee injury, the Italian said on Friday, August 21 depriving the season’s final Grand Slam of one of its biggest contenders.

The 24-year-old, who captured his fifth major title at Wimbledon last month, has not played since sustaining the injury earlier this month.

He pulled out of the Cincinnati Open and also skipped the Canadian Open, two key hard-court tune-up events ahead of the Grand Slam tournament in New York.

“Even though I have been working hard with my team and my medical staff, we have now had to make the difficult decision that I will not be able to compete at the US Open this year,” Sinner said in a statement posted on X.

“We have been back on court in Monte Carlo over the last couple of days and have realized that I still need more time to recover from my right knee issue.”

The announcement comes a day after world number two Carlos Alcaraz confirmed he would compete at Flushing Meadows following a four-month absence from competitive tennis.

Alcaraz, who beat Sinner in last year’s US Open final, now heads to New York as the highest-ranked player and one of the favorites to lift the title, despite recent injury troubles.

Sinner’s absence removes one of the Spaniard’s biggest rivals and could ease his path as he bids for an eighth Grand Slam crown.

The US Open runs from August 23 to September 13.

Draper, Rune also to withdraw

Jack Draper has also withdrawn from the US Open, with the Lawn Tennis Association announcing the Briton’s absence hours after Sinner pulled out of the event.

While the LTA did not disclose the nature of Draper’s injury, media reports said the 24-year-old withdrew because of a long-term left arm problem.

Draper reached a career-high world number four in 2025 but saw his season curtailed by a bone injury in his arm and has also dealt with a knee problem this year.

Now ranked 143rd, he made early exits in Montreal and Cincinnati. Draper’s best Grand Slam run came at the 2024 US Open, where he reached the semi-finals.

Former world number four Holger Rune will also miss the tournament, extending the Dane’s absence from competitive tennis after he suffered a serious left Achilles injury last year.

The 23-year-old, now ranked 102, has not played an official match since October and said he and his team had decided against making a Grand Slam his first tournament back.

Rune had been working with Alcaraz in Murcia.

“I want to thank you, Carlos, and your team, for a great week of training in Murcia. I am very happy with my improvements and my level, we keep working,” Rune said in a social media post alongside a photo with Alcaraz. – Rappler.com