Sinner Out, Djokovic Back as China Open Field Resets

Knee Injury Keeps Sinner Out of Beijing

World No. 1 Jannik Sinner has withdrawn from the China Open, extending an injury layoff that began after his Wimbledon triumph in July. "My knee is not where I would like it to be and I'm not ready to compete yet," Sinner said in his withdrawal statement. "I will do everything possible to be there on court as soon as I can." The 25-year-old Italian also skipped the entire North American hard-court swing, including the US Open, and now gives up the Beijing title he has won twice, in 2023 and again in 2025 with a straight-sets final win over Learner Tien.

The withdrawal deepens concern over how much tennis Sinner will play before the season ends. He has not competed since lifting the Wimbledon trophy, and Beijing was seen as a natural return point given his history there. Entering the tournament, he still held a commanding lead atop the rankings with roughly 11,500 points to Alexander Zverev's 9,690, but every week on the sidelines narrows that cushion as rivals keep banking points.

Djokovic Returns to a Court He Has Never Lost On

Sinner's absence hands the spotlight to Novak Djokovic, who will play the China Open for the first time since 2015 after an 11-year gap. The 24-time Grand Slam champion has entered all six previous editions of the event and won every single one, a perfect record he will try to protect as he works his way back up the rankings. Djokovic slipped to world No. 12 after a shock first-round exit at the US Open against Argentina's Mariano Navone, and Beijing marks his first tournament appearance since that defeat.

Zverev Leads a Wide-Open Field

Alexander Zverev arrives in Beijing as the highest-ranked man left in the draw, fresh off captaining Team Europe to a Laver Cup title in London at the weekend. With the world No. 1 sidelined and Djokovic still rebuilding form after his early US Open exit, the ATP 500 field is as open as it has been in years. Qualifying got underway on Monday, with first-round main-draw matches starting September 30 and the title match scheduled for October 6 — a week that could meaningfully reshape the closing stretch of the ranking race.

Djokovic's six previous China Open campaigns have all ended in the same way: with the trophy in his hands. That unbeaten streak makes him a threat to Zverev's status as top seed regardless of his recent form dip, and a deep run in Beijing would go a long way toward restoring the ranking points he lost after the Navone defeat. For Zverev, the calculation is simpler — every round he advances while Sinner sits out cuts further into a gap that stood at close to 1,800 points before the China Open draw was even made.

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A Packed Final Stretch in Asia

Beijing is the latest stop on a crowded Asian swing that has already produced finals in Chengdu, Hangzhou and Seoul over the past week, with Tokyo's ATP 500 also reaching its business end. Sinner's withdrawal means he will have missed the entire run from the US Open through to at least the China Open, leaving his rivals to fight over ranking points he would otherwise have banked as defending champion. How he responds when he does return remains the biggest open question hanging over the rest of the season.