Sinner Withdraws From US Open 2026 With Knee Injury: What It Means for Roland-Garros 2027

Jannik Sinner has withdrawn from the 2026 US Open. The world No. 1 announced on Friday, August 21, that because of a right knee injury, which has kept him out since he won Wimbledon in July, "we have now had to make the difficult decision that I will not be able to compete at the US Open this year." It is the first Grand Slam he has missed since his major debut at the 2019 US Open (AP).

What Happened

Sinner had already pulled out of the hard-court events in Montreal and Cincinnati with the same knee problem. He has not played since beating Alexander Zverev in the Wimbledon final for his second straight Wimbledon title. The US Open main draw runs August 30 to September 13, 2026.

How the Draw Changes

Sinner's absence makes Alexander Zverev, the 2026 Roland-Garros champion, the No. 1 seed. Carlos Alcaraz, back after more than four months out with a wrist injury, is seeded second, with Félix Auger-Aliassime and Novak Djokovic third and fourth. Every Roland-Garros men's champion since 2023 (Djokovic, Alcaraz and Zverev) is in the draw.

For the full picture of who's chasing next year's title, see our 2027 player entry list and early Roland-Garros 2027 odds.

What It Means for Roland-Garros 2027

Knee trouble that lasts from July into September is worth watching. Sinner will have the off-season and the clay swing to rebuild before Roland-Garros 2027 (main draw May 23 to June 6), where he reached the final in 2025. His rivalry with Alcaraz, who completed the career Grand Slam in January and returns at this US Open, remains a central storyline for the 2027 clay season. Catch up on that rivalry in our Sinner vs. Alcaraz hub.

Update, November 2, 2026: Sinner did not return in 2026. He also missed Beijing and Shanghai, and on October 6 he announced that his season was over because of knee inflammation. Zverev won the US Open and replaced Sinner at No. 1 in the rankings of November 2.

Defending Champions Under the Microscope

Zverev takes his first major title into New York as the top seed, a test of whether his Paris breakthrough is the start of a run at the top. See our full recap of his win in the 2026 French Open results, and track the field for 2027 on our champions history page.

Planning Ahead for Roland-Garros 2027

Roland-Garros publishes its sale dates on tickets.rolandgarros.com; the 2027 dates were not out as of November 2, 2026. GoalTickets, the independent resale marketplace that runs this site, lists resale tickets, usually above face value. Explore our player profiles to get to know the contenders.

Sources: AP (withdrawal, August 21, 2026), Reuters (Cincinnati withdrawal), Wikipedia (2026 US Open men's singles seeds), AP (season over, October 6, 2026). Checked November 2, 2026.