Sinner delays US departure over knee concern, Cincinnati participation in doubt

Knee concern and medical checks

Jannik Sinner's preparation for the US hard-court season has encountered a setback with a right knee problem requiring repeated medical attention. The world number one visited the Physioclinic in Milan on August 5 for an examination by physiatrist Gianluca Melegati, accompanied by four members of his staff. He appeared calm and smiling as he left the clinic shortly after midday. He has since been undergoing physiotherapy at the JMedical facility in Turin, where he returned on the afternoon of August 8 for additional treatment. Sinner is being followed by Dr. Luca Semperboni, the Italian Davis Cup team doctor, and is staying at the Juventus hotel in Turin to minimise travel. Over the past ten days he has commuted between Monte Carlo and Turin for treatment. The knee issue, likely related to overload, is described as improving but not fully resolved. Sinner was seen with tape on the joint and had first complained about it during training in Doha in February. He was also observed touching the knee repeatedly during Wimbledon.

Cincinnati in the balance

The Cincinnati Masters 1000, scheduled for August 13 to 23, was planned as Sinner's only tune-up event before the US Open, which begins on August 30. He had already skipped the Montreal Masters 1000 to allow more recovery time after his Wimbledon victory on July 12. His original schedule called for departure to the United States on Sunday, but that has been postponed. A final decision is expected before the tournament draw on Wednesday. Sinner and his team face a trade-off: competitive match practice on hard courts, a surface he has not competed on since his Miami triumphs in late March, versus the risk of stressing the knee in Cincinnati's heat and humidity. Last year, Sinner reached the Cincinnati final against Carlos Alcaraz but was forced to retire in the first set. He won the tournament in 2024. In the worst-case scenario, he would not play until August 15.

Ranking implications

Sinner's position as world number one is secure regardless of his Cincinnati decision. He currently holds 13,450 points and defends 650 points from his 2025 Cincinnati final. If he withdraws, he would drop to 12,800 points. Alexander Zverev's early exit in Montreal has already mathematically guaranteed that Sinner will remain number one at least until October 4. Among his pursuers, Carlos Alcaraz will lose 1,000 points from his 2025 Cincinnati title, dropping from 8,160 to 7,160. Alcaraz has already withdrawn from Cincinnati due to a wrist problem that has kept him out since April, with some reports suggesting he may miss the rest of the season.

What happens next

Sinner has not played an official match since the Wimbledon final on July 12. If he skips Cincinnati, he would arrive at Flushing Meadows without a competitive match in nearly seven weeks and without hard-court match practice since March. Since 1990, no player has won the US Open without playing a summer warm-up event, though Sinner broke a comparable pattern by winning Wimbledon without a grass-court preparation tournament. If he skips Cincinnati, his next three Grand Slam appearances would be Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open with no other tournaments in between. The team's reluctance to confirm a departure timeline has added to the uncertainty, and a decision appears imminent given the Wednesday draw deadline.