World number one Jannik Sinner has withdrawn from the US Open, the final Grand Slam of the tennis season, due to a persistent right knee injury, leaving New York's Flushing Meadows without one of its marquee names. The 24-year-old Italian announced the decision on Friday, August 22, saying he had been unable to recover sufficiently despite returning to court in Monaco in recent days. "I have been working hard with my team and my medical staff, but we have now had to make the difficult decision that I will not be able to compete at the US Open this year," Sinner wrote on social media. "I still need more time to recover from my right knee issue. I am sad and disappointed, as I was really looking forward to returning to New York."
Sinner has been sidelined for roughly a month, missing both the Canadian Open in Montreal and the Cincinnati Open — the two main hard-court warm-up tournaments ahead of the US Open. The injury is the first Grand Slam he has been forced to miss as a result of health problems. He had been in exceptional form before it struck: he won Wimbledon last month for his fifth major title, and had won six consecutive Masters-level tournaments — the most prestigious events outside the Grand Slams — a feat never previously achieved in professional tennis. He was also the defending champion of the US Open, having won the title in 2024.
Sinner's withdrawal clears a significant path for Spain's Carlos Alcaraz, who confirmed just a day earlier that he would compete in New York after his own four-month injury absence. Alcaraz, currently ranked second in the world, defeated Sinner in last year's US Open final and now heads to the tournament as the highest-ranked active participant and a strong favourite. The US Open runs from August 23 to September 13.
Sinner is not the only notable absentee. Britain's Jack Draper, 24, has also withdrawn, with reports indicating a long-term left arm problem is to blame. Draper, who reached a career-high ranking of world number four in 2025 but has struggled with injury throughout the year, made his best Grand Slam run at last year's US Open, reaching the semi-finals. He is currently ranked 143rd following a difficult season. Danish player Holger Rune, 23, has also ruled himself out, continuing an extended absence since suffering a serious left Achilles injury in October. Though Rune had been training alongside Alcaraz in Murcia, southern Spain, he decided a Grand Slam would be too demanding a return match.
The wave of withdrawals reshapes an already unpredictable tournament. With Sinner sidelined and Alcaraz returning from injury, the draw opens up considerably for other contenders, making the 2025 US Open one of the more openly contested majors in recent memory.