Jannik Sinner’s withdrawal from the US Open has been described as a ‘shock’ by former British tennis star and long-time commentator Annabel Croft, who added that his scheduling has perhaps ‘cost him’ two Grand Slams this season.
Five weeks ago, the world No 1 looked in phenomenal form by the end of his run to the Wimbledon title, as he extended his sensational win-loss record for the season to 44-3 (93.6%).
However, after withdrawing from Masters 1000 events in Montreal and Cincinnati, concern grew surrounding his physical condition.
Indeed, with less than two weeks to go before the start of the US Open, Sinner took to social media to announce that he would be unable to play the North American event after struggling with an ongoing ‘right knee issue’.
Shortly following becoming the first man to win all of the season’s first five Masters 1000 events, the Italian similarly looked like an overwhelming favourite to win the French Open. However, he was physically diminished by the intense Parisian heat during his second-round match against Juan Manuel Cerundolo.
Taken together, despite the positive results, the world’s best player will undoubtedly be frustrated that his body has let him down once again ahead of one of the season’s marquee events.
Croft, who is a long-time tennis commentator after having reached the world’s top 25 in the rankings, weighed in with her analysis.
“It’s quite a shock to be honest. We knew he hadn’t played the last couple of events and he was resting but that whole idea was to get ready for the US Open,” stated the Brit during a Sky Sports segment.
“It’s a big blow to tennis because it feels like a long time ago that we had Alcaraz and Sinner in the events together and it feels like a great loss.
“It also underlines how relentless and demanding the tour is physically.
“When you think at the beginning of the year when he won those five back-to-back Masters 1000 titles which was absolutely exceptional and a phenomenal achievement, but when he got to Roland-Garros there was not much left in the tank and it cost him perhaps the French Open title..
“Then we saw him rebound at Wimbledon which he built with each match but once again his body has let himself down.
“For all of these players it’s such a difficult balance. You keep trying to play the tour, play the mandatory events but you also want to peak at the Grand Slams and it’s not quite happening at the moment.”
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Indeed, the news was announced just one day after the Italian’s main rival, Carlos Alcaraz, confirmed that he would return to the tour after a four-month break at the US Open.
The Spaniard has been out with a wrist injury since withdrawing from the Barcelona Open, but has been boosted by recent practice sessions.
Sinner and Alcaraz met on six occasions in 2025, including in the final of the season’s final three Grand Slams and the Nitto ATP Finals.
However, due to injury and a handful of surprising results, the pair’s only clash this year was in the final of the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters – which Sinner won in straight sets.
“It’s a long time since we had them in the same draw [since Monte Carlo],” the Brit continued.
“They have become the new rivalry that everyone wants to see. I really don’t mind watching the same players compete all the time because those are the matches you really look forward to.
“It’s like watching a big boxing fight. You want to see the very best go up against each other, but now it’s an opportunity for the next category down to shine.
“It’s interesting because it’s a bit of a transitional period at the moment.
“Who knows what will happen when we get them all back together.”
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