Sinner pulls out of Cincinnati Open with knee injury

CINCINNATI (AP):World No. 1 Jannik Sinner has withdrawn from the Cincinnati Open because of a knee injury, tournament officials confirmed yesterday.

Sinner, who has not played since winning his second consecutive Wimbledon title last month, also pulled out of the Toronto event that began on Wednesday. The 24-year-old Italian owns five Grand Slam titles and needs only the French Open to complete a career Grand Slam.

“After consulting with my doctors and my team, I have to announce that I need to withdraw from the Masters 1000 tournament in Cincinnati,” Sinner said in a statement. “My right knee has been bothering me and even though we have been working hard with my medical team, I have to accept that I’m not ready to compete yet. I’m very disappointed not to be able to play in Cincinnati. I can’t wait to be back next year and I’m now focusing on getting ready for the US Open.”

His withdrawal follows a similar announcement from Carlos Alcaraz, who said on Tuesday he would miss the Cincinnati event due to a lingering wrist injury. Their absences mean fans will not see either of the world’s top two players when men’s singles begins on Saturday.

Two years ago, Sinner captured the Cincinnati title before going on to win the US Open. Last year, Alcaraz dethroned him with a four-set victory in the US Open final. The 23-year-old Spaniard will attempt to defend his crown when the main draw begins on August 30.