World No. 1 Jannik Sinner Withdraws From 2026 US Open; Defending Champion Carlos Alcaraz Confirms His Return

Jannik Sinner, the world No. 1, has withdrawn from the 2026 US Open. He pulled out of the tournament on Aug. 21, 2026, saying a right knee injury has not healed enough for him to compete.

“We have realised that I still need more time to recover from my right knee issue,” Sinner said, adding that he was “very sad and disappointed, as New York has a special place in my heart.” No more specific diagnosis for the knee has been reported.

Key facts

Withdrawal: Jannik Sinner, world No. 1, pulled out of the 2026 US Open on Aug. 21, 2026, citing a right knee injury.
Replacement storyline: Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz confirmed his return on Aug. 20, after a roughly four-month layoff for a wrist injury.
Tournament dates: Aug. 23-Sept. 13, 2026, at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, Queens.
Main draw begins: Aug. 30, 2026.
Open wildcard spots: One women’s and one men’s wildcard slot remain unfilled, with Serena Williams still deciding on the women’s side.

Sinner’s rough stretch

The withdrawal caps a rough stretch for Sinner’s knee. He had already pulled out of the Cincinnati Open and missed the Canadian Open with the same injury. Before any of that surfaced, he won Wimbledon 2026 for his fifth Grand Slam title — he has not played since that win.

Alcaraz is coming back

A day before Sinner’s news, on Aug. 20, defending champion Carlos Alcaraz announced he is returning to the ATP Tour at this year’s US Open, ending a roughly four-month layoff caused by a right wrist injury. He beat Sinner in last year’s US Open final, and with Sinner now out, he arrives in New York as one of the tournament’s top seeds.

Alcaraz suffered inflammation of a tendon in his right wrist during his opening-round match against Otto Virtanen at the Barcelona Open on April 13, 2026, which he won 6-4, 6-2. He withdrew from the rest of the tournament two days later, on April 15. The injury was later diagnosed as tenosynovitis, an inflammation of the connective tissue around the tendons. Alcaraz called it “a more serious injury than any of us expected.” The injury kept him out of the rest of the clay and grass-court seasons, including the French Open and Wimbledon; he also missed the Cincinnati Open.

He announced his comeback in a social media video made with Fabrizio Romano, a journalist best known for breaking football transfer news with his catchphrase “Here we go!” Alcaraz said “Estoy de vuelta” — “I am back” — and echoed Romano’s line himself, also posting on X with the same phrase and a U.S. flag emoji.

Alcaraz heads into the tournament with seven Grand Slam singles titles: the US Open in 2022 and 2025, Wimbledon in 2023 and 2024, Roland-Garros in 2024 and 2025, and the Australian Open in January 2026, where he beat Novak Djokovic in the final to complete a career Grand Slam at age 22 years, 8 months and 27 days — becoming the youngest man in the Open Era to win all four majors.

Will Serena Williams play? Still unresolved as of August 21, 2026

As of the most recent reporting available, that remains unresolved. The USTA had filled seven of eight women’s singles wildcard spots by Aug. 18, deliberately leaving the last one open while Serena Williams, 44, decides whether to enter. She had “not committed either way,” and a decision was expected within days as qualifying got underway — but no announcement had surfaced as of August 21, 2026.

The confirmed women’s wildcards include Venus Williams, 46 — the 2000 and 2001 champion, making her 26th US Open appearance — and 2017 champion Sloane Stephens, along with five other wildcard recipients: Carol Young Suh Lee, Reese Brantmeier, Thea Frodin, Taylah Preston and Leolia Jeanjean. On the men’s side, seven of eight wildcards are set. Gael Monfils leads the group in his farewell season, joined by six other confirmed picks: Alexei Popyrin, Martin Damm, Michael Zheng, J.J. Wolf, Jack Kennedy and Sebastian Gorzny. The eighth spot, like the women’s, remains open.

Serena’s situation has been complicated by injury of her own. She returned to Grand Slam singles at Wimbledon 2026 in July for the first time in about four years, lost her first-round match to Maya Joint, and a knee injury then forced her to scrap a planned doubles reunion with Venus — it’s unclear whether that knee had fully healed by the time the sisters did eventually pair up, about a month later, at the Cincinnati Open, their first time playing doubles together since the 2022 US Open, though they lost their opening match.

Timeline

Jan. 2026 — Alcaraz wins the Australian Open, completing a career Grand Slam.
April 13, 2026 — Alcaraz injures his right wrist during his opening-round match against Otto Virtanen at the Barcelona Open.
April 15, 2026 — Alcaraz withdraws from the rest of the Barcelona Open.
July 2026 — Sinner wins Wimbledon for his fifth Grand Slam title; hasn’t played since.
Aug. 18, 2026 — USTA fills seven of eight women’s wildcard spots, leaves one open for Serena Williams.
Aug. 20, 2026 — Alcaraz announces his return to the ATP Tour.
Aug. 21, 2026 — Sinner withdraws from the 2026 US Open.
Aug. 23, 2026 — Fan Week begins; singles qualifying starts Aug. 24.
Aug. 30, 2026 — Main singles draw begins.
Sept. 13, 2026 — Tournament concludes.

When it all starts

The 2026 US Open runs Aug. 23 through Sept. 13 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, Queens. Fan Week begins Aug. 23, qualifying begins Aug. 24, and the main singles draw, with 128 players in each bracket, begins Sunday, Aug. 30.

Beyond Alcaraz, the entry list also names Alexander Zverev, Djokovic, Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton.