World No. 1 Jannik Sinner Out of US Open With Knee Injury, Blowing Open the Men's Draw
The Italian star, fresh off his Wimbledon title, says his right knee won't hold up for a Grand Slam — handing Carlos Alcaraz a huge boost in the betting odds just over a week before the tournament begins.
Jannik Sinner announced Friday he is withdrawing from the US Open, ending the world No. 1's title defense before it could begin and reshuffling the odds at the year's final Grand Slam.
Sinner said he has been unable to recover from a right knee injury that has sidelined him since he won Wimbledon last month, and that he won't be ready when the main draw opens on August 30, according to Al Jazeera. The 25-year-old Italian broke the news to fans directly on social media rather than through a tournament statement, a decision that underscored how last-minute the call was.
A wide-open men's draw
The withdrawal immediately scrambled the tournament's betting markets. Sinner had been a +125 favorite to win the title before his announcement. With him out, Carlos Alcaraz — previously priced at +175 — is now the overwhelming favorite at +140, followed by Alexander Zverev at +300, according to updated odds reported by Yahoo Sports.
WON'T BE READY — SINNER'S KNEE FORCES HIM OUT BEFORE THE DRAW EVEN BEGINS
The injury has now cost Sinner two things in short succession: a chance to defend his Wimbledon crown streak into a hard-court major, and any shot at climbing the year-end rankings race, where he had been trading the top spot with Alcaraz for much of the season. Sinner has not given a firm return timeline, saying only that he is focused on fully healing rather than rushing back for a tournament he knows he can't compete for at full strength.
This year's US Open carries unusually high financial stakes for the players who do take the court. The tournament is offering a record $108 million in total player compensation, a 21% increase over 2025 and the largest purse in tennis history. The men's and women's singles champions will each take home $5.5 million, up 10% from last year's $5 million prize.
For Alcaraz, the shift in favorite status adds pressure to a tournament he had already been expected to contend for. The Spaniard has split recent head-to-head meetings with Sinner and will now be expected to close out the title without having to get past his fiercest rival along the way — a scenario that both raises his odds and raises questions about how the eventual champion's run will be judged.
The US Open main draw begins Sunday, August 30, with the men's singles final scheduled for September 13 at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing Meadows.