Jannik Sinner renounces the Shanghai Masters: alarm over his return grows

Three months of absence from the fields, the return is still postponed and the alarm goes off. Jannik Sinner also gave up on the Shanghai Masters: after missing the appointment with the ATP in Beijing (where he should have defended the title won last year) the world tennis no.1 will not even play the 1000 scheduled in the Chinese metropolis, "Unfortunately I won't be able to be on court at the Rolex Shanghai Masters this year as I would have hoped. I've always liked playing in Shanghai, I'm sorry I can't do it next week. Thanks for your support, see you next year" the message entrusted to Instagram with which Sinner announces yet another resignation.

Now the lack of tournaments is starting to become important and the problem in his right knee that he has been treating all summer is evidently not resolved: the blue player hasn't played an official match since July 12th, the glorious Wimbledon final which gave him the historic encore on the London grass. Then the problems began related to the extra-articular tendon inflammation in the right knee, a problem that was not serious but with a risk of relapse. Sinner has reiterated several times that he wants to take care of his body, already stressed by a calendar that doesn't leave too much room for recovery: having said this, since then there have only been sacrifices. The Montreal tournament at the beginning of August, followed by the Cincinnati Masters, up to the US Open: and now the whole Asian trip that could cost him the scepter. In fact, Sinner's reign is strongly threatened by Alexander Zverev, beaten by the South Tyrolean at Wimbledon, but since then - thanks to the absences of the Italian and Carlos Alcaraz - he has traveled like a train, also winning the American slam after Roland Garros. The German is playing in Beijing where he easily reached the quarterfinals, where he will face Novak Djokovic. If he wins both Chinese tournaments he will mathematically be the new number 1 (the German would have 11,040 points, while Sinner 10,950).

The prolonged absence and slow communication then raise doubts and make one think of a mystery, if a sighting and a photo posted on social media by a fan in the company of the champion are enough to fuel uncertainty about Sinner's condition. In particular, the shot that then went around the web contained two tags, the first of the restaurant where the Italian and the fan were, near the Hopital Privé Jean Mermoz, in Lyon, where Doctor Bertrand Sonnery-Cottet, a specialist in knee problems, works. And the second, later removed, from the Santy Orthopedic Center, another clinic in the area where the same professor always receives. Enough to hypothesize, in the absence of official communications, surgery on the champion's knee as the next step. Who also underwent targeted therapy throughout the month of August, including with the use of shock waves, moving between Milan and Juventus' Jmedical.

In September Sinner also returned to training with the racket, immortalized on the court with coach Simone Vagnozzi and also with his national teammate Flavio Cobolli. Signs that the return was approaching. Meanwhile in Tokyo the adventure has come to an end for Matteo Berrettini and Matteo Arnaldi, the former eliminated by the Paraguayan Daniel Vallejo 7-6 6-1, the latter by Carlos Alcaraz with the same score. Returning to Sinner, he is certain to remain No. 1 until October 18th and the end of the season is yet to be written: the Italian champion could return to the Six Kings Slam at the end of October (21-24 in Riyadh, a multi-million dollar tournament but with the unknown of an escalation of the war in the Middle East) where he is scheduled to face Alex De Minaur, then he would face Novak Djokovic and Alcaraz in the final. Sinner is also registered for the ATP in Vienna (26 October-1 November), the Master 1000 in Paris (2-8 November) and the ATP Finals in Turin (15-22 November). To close the year there is the appointment with the Davis Cup in Bologna, here there is no confirmation of Sinner's presence in blue. After three months of stoppage, there is no return date, and the alarm is growing.