Jannik Sinner: World No 1 to miss rest of season due to knee injury and has not played since winning Wimbledon
Jannik Sinner will not return to the court until 2027; Italian's last match was victory over Alexander Zverev in Wimbledon final in July; five-time Grand Slam champion could lose No 1 ranking before end of season with Zverev pushing for that spot; watch tennis live on Sky Sports
Speaking in a video message on social media, the Italian said: "Me, together with the doctors, have decided that I need a course of treatment for my knee, which means that the 2026 season is officially over.
"The last couple of years gave me so many beautiful feelings and emotions, which this year is going to be way different, but I also need to think about my long-term career so I will do everything possible to get back 100 per cent.
"I will thank you already in advance for your support and hope to see you very, very soon on court again. Ciao ciao!"
Sinner's team added in a statement: "On the advice of his medical team, Jannik Sinner will follow a course of treatment for inflammation in his knee.
"The decision has been made to have the treatment now to give Jannik the necessary time to recover before beginning preparations for 2027.
"As a result, Jannik will be unable to compete again during the 2026 season."
Sinner beat Alexander Zverev in the Wimbledon final in July to successfully defend his title and claim a fifth major trophy, after also winning the Australian Open in 2024 and 2025 and US Open in 2024.
He picked up six trophies in 2026, preceding his Wimbledon success with victories in the ATP 1000 events at Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo, Madrid and Rome, and won 44 of his 47 matches across the year.
Sinner's only defeats came to Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open semi-finals, Jakub Mensik in the last eight in Doha and a shock loss to Juan Manuel Cerundolo in the second round of the French Open amid sapping conditions.
The 25-year-old - who has won his last 10 ATP finals - skipped the US Open and also pulled out of his China Open defence and then the upcoming Shanghai Masters.
He will now miss the Paris Masters as well as the ATP Finals and Davis Cup Finals in his homeland.
Sinner's premature end to the 2026 campaign means he could be dethroned as world No 1 before the year is over, with Zverev pushing for that ranking.
Sinner is on 11,000 points with world No 2 Zverev - knocked out in the China Open quarter-finals by Djokovic at the weekend - on 9,720.
Carlos Alcaraz, Ben Shelton and Daniil Medvedev complete the current top five.
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