The Cincinnati Masters 1000, scheduled for 13 to 23 August, has been dealt a painful blow. World number one Jannik Sinner has pulled out with a knee injury, raising fresh concerns over his readiness for the US Open at the end of this month.
Tournament organisers confirmed the withdrawal in a statement on Sunday, ruling the Italian out of his final warm-up before the season's last Grand Slam. The decision comes just days after his Spanish rival Carlos Alcaraz withdrew from the same event, robbing fans of the chance to watch both global stars in Ohio.
Back-to-back withdrawals now follow Sinner, who also skipped Montreal this week. He hasn't played a single match since lifting his second Wimbledon title on 12 July. That means he'll arrive at the US Open on 30 August without a single hard-court match under his belt during his preparation.
Sinner won the Cincinnati title in 2024, yet he'll miss the defence for the second Masters 1000 running. His dominance of the category has been absolute of late: five straight titles this season at Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo, Madrid and Rome, on top of the Paris crown at the end of last year.
Caution has won out for the 25-year-old. His knee injury demands care, and the US Open sits at the very top of his priorities as the last major of the summer, especially after he lifted the title in 2024 as part of an exceptional haul of five Grand Slams.
The setback echoes Sinner's struggles during last year's American swing. Gruelling, physically punishing matches forced him out of the Cincinnati final against Alcaraz, before he lost to the Spaniard again in the US Open final. It was a harsh experience, and one he's desperate not to repeat.
Losing both Sinner and Alcaraz is a hammer blow to Cincinnati. The tournament had been set for fiery clashes between the biggest names in world tennis, just weeks before the American hard-court season builds towards its climax at Flushing Meadows.