The men’s draw at Flushing Meadows has just lost its heavy favourite. Jannik Sinner, the world number one, has confirmed his US Open withdrawal after failing to shake off a right knee injury, ending any hope of the Italian adding to the US Open title he claimed back in 2024.

“Even though I have been working hard with my team and my medical staff, we have now had to make the difficult decision that I will not be able to compete at the US Open this year,” Sinner said in a statement. He added that recent training sessions convinced him he needed more time, calling New York a city that “has a special place in my heart”.

The timing is a bit striking. Sinner’s announcement landed barely a day after his chief rival, Carlos Alcaraz, confirmed he’d be back at Flushing Meadows following his own four-month layoff with a wrist injury which almost certainly nudged the Italian to clarify where he stood.

Why Sinner’s US Open Withdrawal Reshapes The Men’s Singles Draw

The 25-year-old has not hit a competitive ball since lifting his second consecutive Wimbledon trophy in July, when he beat Alexander Zverev in the final to claim a fifth career Grand Slam singles crown.

That victory capped a dominant stretch, but his body has struggled since, and now the knee problem has cost him a second hard-court event within weeks.

Sinner had already pulled out of the Cincinnati Open earlier in August with the same issue - an early hint that this wasn’t going to fade quickly. What first looked like caution ahead of a Slam has turned into a genuine setback, and let’s be honest, the lack of recent match play only raised the risk of pushing through in New York.

“I’m not ready to compete,” Sinner reportedly said around the time of the Cincinnati pullout: a blunt admission from a player who has rarely given opponents an inch this season. The message was pretty plain: this was about protecting a career, not chasing a single fortnight.

How The Knee Injury Developed Since Wimbledon

Despite missing time, Sinner still holds a commanding lead atop the ATP rankings. Reported standings put him on roughly 13,450 points, well clear of Alcaraz on about 8,160 and Zverev just behind on around 8,120, with a buffer that means his ranking should survive the lost points, even as his season stalls a little.

For Australian tennis followers, the reshuffled draw at this year’s US Open matters beyond curiosity.

A wide-open Slam creates room for the game’s next tier, and any deep run this fortnight will shape seedings and momentum heading into the Australian summer and next January’s home Grand Slam. If you’re new to it, our guide on how to bet on the US Open tennis is a handy starting point.

Who Benefits After Sinner’s US Open Withdrawal

The most obvious beneficiary is Alcaraz, and it’s not really close. The Spaniard sat out four months with a wrist injury, and his return at Flushing Meadows now doubles as a fitness test.

With Sinner gone, he arrives as the man to beat rather than just one of two. He’s also defending the title, so any deep run wasn’t going to be a soft touch anyway.

For context on how the pair stack up, our Sinner versus Alcaraz head to head guide breaks down the rivalry.

Zverev, a multiple Slam finalist still hunting a first major, may sense his own opening. The German has the ranking and the game to exploit a draw missing its top seed, and few will be tracking the fallout of the Sinner US Open withdrawal more closely than a man who lost to him on Centre Court only weeks ago.

Others further down the standings (from Felix Auger-Aliassime to Ben Shelton and the ever-present Novak Djokovic) inherit a friendlier path too.

When the strongest player of the year is missing from the field, a single tournament can quietly redraw the pecking order.

For now, the men’s singles field at the US Open moves forward without the world No. 1, and the questions cluster around timing.

When Sinner returns is still unclear, whether Alcaraz’s wrist holds up over best-of-five is the tournament’s first real subplot, and the ripple effects of the Sinner US Open withdrawal will shadow the tour long after New York.

With the favourite gone and the draw wide open, it’s worth checking the latest odds on the US Open tennis before locking in your fancies for the fortnight.