Injured Sinner and Draper Withdraw from US Open

Posted : 22 August 2026

World number one Jannik Sinner and Britain’s Jack Draper have both withdrawn from the upcoming US Open through injury.

Sinner has not played competitively since winning the Wimbledon title in July and is dealing with a knee problem.

The 25-year-old’s decision comes a day after his great rival Carlos Alcaraz announced he would play at Flushing Meadows following a four-month absence with a wrist injury.

“Even though I have been working hard with my team and my medical staff, we have now had to make the difficult decision that I will not be able to compete at the US Open this year,” said the Italian.

Draper, who lost to Sinner in the 2024 US Open semi-finals, has withdrawn because of the long-term arm injury that has stalled the 24-year-old’s progress.

The former British number one was ranked inside the world’s top five when he suffered bone bruising in his left serving arm.

Draper looked primed to challenge the dominance of Sinner and Alcaraz, having won the biggest title of his career on the Indian Wells hard courts and reached the Madrid Open final on clay.

However, he has played just 16 matches in the past 12 months and missed all four Grand Slam tournaments this year.

Sinner claimed the second Grand Slam title of his career when he won the US Open in 2024 and reached the New York final again last year, when he was beaten by Alcaraz.

He lifted his fifth career Grand Slam singles title by beating Alexander Zverev in the All England Club final, but has not played since.

“We have been back on court in Monte Carlo over the last couple of days and have realised that I still need more time to recover from my right knee issue,” Sinner added.

“I’m obviously very sad and disappointed, as New York has a special place in my heart.”

Sinner and Alcaraz produced a clean sweep of the Grand Slam titles in 2024 and 2025, winning four majors apiece in a duopoly that has developed into a generational rivalry.

However, their rivalry has been unable to reach the same heights and intensity in 2026.

Sinner’s withdrawal means the pair have not both been present at the past three Grand Slams, with Alcaraz’s wrist problem forcing him out of the French Open and Wimbledon.

At the season-opening Australian Open, Sinner’s shock loss to an inspired Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals stopped a fourth Grand Slam final in a row between him and 23-year-old Alcaraz.

The pair also contested the title match at the end-of-season ATP Finals, further emphasising how far clear they were of their rivals in the men’s game.

This year, they have gone head-to-head only once.

Sinner beat Alcaraz in April’s Monte Carlo final, which ensured the Italian reclaimed the top spot in the world rankings, a position he has not looked like relinquishing since.

In his absence, Germany’s Zverev will be the top seed at Flushing Meadows, ahead of Alcaraz and Canadian third seed Felix Auger-Aliassime.

The US Open singles main draws start on Sunday, August 30.

Draper’s arm injury has also continued to disrupt his career, with scans last year showing bruising in his humerus, the bone that runs from the shoulder to the elbow, in his left arm.

Draper’s game is anchored by a big serve and forehand, and the injury stopped him from generating power on those shots.

Initially, he tried to play through the discomfort, but withdrew from last year’s US Open before his second-round match.

He subsequently took time away from playing to allow the injury to heal and swiftly decided to curtail his 2025 season.

Draper opted not to play this year’s Australian Open in January, then missed the French Open and Wimbledon as he continued to take precautionary measures.

He made his latest comeback at the Canadian Open on August 4, but the sight of him breaking down in tears midway through his first-round loss to France’s Terence Atmane led to further concerns.

Draper did play again nine days later at the Cincinnati Open, but lost in straight sets to Spain’s Martin Landaluce after being 5-2 up in the second set.

He has now decided to take more time away from the tour.

His representatives said he was “gutted” after what has clearly been a “tough period”, adding that they do not know when he will return to competition.

The withdrawals of Sinner and Draper mean tennis fans will once again be denied the opportunity to see several of the leading players compete together at a Grand Slam.

Sinner is expected to spend more time undergoing rehabilitation and practice sessions at home in Monte Carlo as he targets a return to the ATP Tour for the Asian hard-court swing in October.

For Draper, the latest setback extends a difficult period in which he has been forced to balance his ambitions with the need to protect his long-term fitness.

The US Open will therefore begin without the world number one, while Draper’s absence adds to the growing list of injury setbacks affecting leading players on the men’s tour.

Injured Sinner and Draper Withdraw from US Open

ADD A COMMENT :

Hot Topics