Sinner setback clouds planned China Open return, Vienna mentioned as alternative

Jannik Sinner has suffered a setback in his recovery from a right knee injury, with reports on 2026-09-23 saying his planned comeback at the China Open is in doubt and that he may delay a return until Vienna.

Sinner has not played a competitive match since winning Wimbledon on July 12, when he beat Alexander Zverev in four sets to defend the SW19 title and claim his fifth Grand Slam; that victory also secured his place as the first player to qualify for this year’s ATP Finals. The right knee problem has kept him out for more than two months and ruled him out of the North American hard-court swing, including the Cincinnati Open and the 2026 US Open. He had initially targeted the China Open as his comeback event — a tournament he won last year — and recent reports had suggested his recovery was progressing positively. A social post circulated saying: "Jannik Sinner keeps practicing in Monte-Carlo. His plan is to comeback to tennis in 16 days at the @ChinaOpen pic.twitter.com/u9PUldBC4p".

Sinner’s team resumed low-intensity work at Turin’s Circolo della Stampa Sporting, focusing on testing and strengthening the injured knee rather than on full racket sessions, with on-court hitting expected to follow in the coming days or weeks. The programme has prioritised controlled physical work to monitor the knee’s response rather than an immediate return to match preparation.

Former ATP player Stefano Pescosolido has said Sinner is being deliberately cautious to avoid a setback and suggested the Italian might skip the Asian swing entirely, targeting a return in Vienna instead. Those comments were reported as part of fresh coverage from Italy questioning the timing of Sinner’s appearance in Asia.

There are still key events remaining on the calendar, with Shanghai, Paris and the ATP Finals in Turin listed in reports; Turin is noted as the venue where Sinner is the two-time defending champion. Sources say he has around 2,500 points to defend between Paris and Turin alone and that he has dropped nearly 1,950 points from the tournaments he missed.

Despite the missed events and points loss, the reports state Sinner remains atop the rankings on 11,000 points to Alexander Zverev’s 9,630 and has spent 90 weeks at World No. 1. According to those same reports, Sinner’s principal priority for the 2026 season is to play the year-end Finals in Turin and to arrive there fit and prepared for the next calendar year.

Sinner has not officially withdrawn from the China Open, which is scheduled to begin on September 30, and the immediate next developments will be whether he enters the China Open or confirms a return at Vienna to prepare for the ATP Finals.