World number one âÂÂJannik Sinner has withdrawn from the China Open, saying â that he is â not yet ready to compete as he continues to recover from the knee injury that also forced him to miss the â US Open.
The 25-year-old Italian has not played since capturing his fifth major title at Wimbledon in July.
Sinner skipped the Canadian Open and withdrew from â the Cincinnati Open, two key hard-court tune-up events, before also pulling out of the US Open.
âÂÂIâÂÂm very sorry to announce that I wonâÂÂt be able to play in Beijing this year,â Sinner said on social media on Friday.
âÂÂMy knee is not âÂÂwhere I would like it to be, and IâÂÂm not ready to compete yet, but I will do everything possible to be back on court as soon as I can.
âÂÂWhat I miss the most is, of course, the tournament, the fans and the atmosphere. IâÂÂve had a great time in the past, including winning the title last year, and â IâÂÂm very disappointed that I cannot defend it â this year, but IâÂÂm very happy to come back next year.
âÂÂSo I wish everyone a very good tournament, and IâÂÂll see you all very soon on court again.âÂÂ
Sinner defeated American Learner â Tien in straight sets in the Beijing final last year to win his second China Open title after â his triumph in 2023.
His withdrawal leaves Novak Djokovic â as one of the headline attractions at the ATP 500 event.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion will return to the China Open after an 11-year absence as he looks to rebuild âÂÂmomentum following a shock first-round exit at the US Open that saw him slip to world number 12.
The 39-year-old Serb is returning to Beijing, where âÂÂhe âÂÂboasts a perfect record and a tournament-best six titles.
The menâÂÂs draw at the China Open runs from September 30 to October 6.