BEIJING — Jannik Sinner is preparing to return to action in Beijing after missing the US Open with a knee injury, with expectation he will travel to China this weekend to contest the ATP 1000 tournament at the Beijing Olympic Green Tennis Center. The world No. 1 and five-time Grand Slam champion has not played since lifting the Wimbledon title back in July, and secrecy has surrounded the knee issue in recent weeks amid conflicting reports over its severity.
Sinner won the ATP 500 tournament in Beijing last year and has chosen the same venue for his comeback. He will face a strong field on his return, with recently crowned US Open champion Alexander Zverev, 24-time Grand Slam-winning great Novak Djokovic and Felix Auger-Aliassime among the entrants. The cautious approach contrasts with rival Carlos Alcaraz, who was questioned for returning from a long-term wrist problem at the US Open to play best-of-five-set tennis, delivered five excellent performances in New York and appears back to full fitness as he plays in this weekend's Laver Cup.
Zverev, who also won the French Open during an impressive season that included his US Open title, addressed the current hierarchy after his victory in New York. "You have to take everything into consideration," said Zverev after his US Open win. "With Jannik Sinner being injured and Carlos Alcaraz coming back from injury after four months, right now, probably yes. Both of them healthy and both of them at the top of their game, maybe not. But if we say right, right now, with Jannik being injured and Carlos coming back from injury, maybe. I mean, four, five months ago when both of them were healthy, I wasn't. I was losing to Jannik all the time. So if everyone is healthy, I think Jannik is still ahead. It's as simple as that."
Sinner remains at the top of the rankings, but he has plenty of ranking points to defend in the coming weeks. Zverev has scope to overtake him before the end of the year, setting up a battle for the year-end world No. 1 spot. Despite winning more Grand Slam titles in 2026, Zverev suggested Sinner is still the man to beat when healthy as the final stretch approaches.