World number one Jannik Sinner will not be defending his China Open title as he continues to recover from a knee injury.
The same injury also ruled him out of the US Open in August, and the Italian has not played competitively since his victory over Alexander Zverev in the Wimbledon final.
Sinner, 25, won the China Open in 2023 and 2025. The tournament starts on Wednesday and concludes on 6 October.
“I want to send the warmest greetings to the Chinese fans,” Sinner said in a video posted on social media platform X.
“I’m very sorry to announce that I won’t be able to play in Beijing this year. My knee is not where I would like it to be and I’m not ready to compete yet.
“I will do everything possible to be there on court as soon as I can. What I miss the most is, of course, the tournament, the fans and the atmosphere. I’ve had great times there in the past, winning the title also last year.
“I’m very disappointed that I cannot defend it this year.”
Zverev and Novak Djokovic are among the other stars still expected to compete in Beijing.
