Jannik Sinner issues apology statement as tennis star pulls out of Shanghai Masters
Jannik Sinner has issued an apology to fans after announcing he’s pulling out of the Shanghai Masters. The ATP World No. 1 took to Instagram to break the news that he will not be at the tournament, which runs between October 10 and 18. He wrote: “Unfortunately, I won’t be able to play at the Rolex Shanghai Masters this year as I had hoped. I always enjoy playing in front of the Shanghai fans and I’m very sorry that I won’t be able to do so next week. Thank you for all your support. I’m looking forward to seeing you again next year.”
The Italian tennis sensation did not give a reason for his withdrawal from the tournament, although it is thought to be a result of an ongoing knee injury. Sinner has been out of action since his four-set win over Alexander Zverev in the grand finale of Wimbledon back in mid-July.
He has also missed Masters 1000 events in Montreal and Cincinnati, as well as the final Grand Slam of the year in the US Open, and the China Open in Beijing. It comes as the Express reported this week that the 25-year-old could also risk missing the Australian Open at the turn of the year due to his injury.
That’s given rise to reports that Sinner’s issue may be worse than initially feared, with Corriere dello Sport suggesting that surgery may be required to fix the problem. That’s if rest and physical therapy prove ineffective.
Sinner also recently admitted that the road to recovery hadn’t been as straightforward as hoped, while insisting that he would do everything in his power to return to the court as soon as possible. Explaining his absence from the China Open, he said: “I’m very sorry to announce that I won’t be able to play in Beijing this year.
“My knee is not where I would like it to be and I’m not ready to compete yet. I will do everything possible to be there on court as soon as I can.
“What I miss the most is, of course, the tournament, the fans and the atmosphere. I’ve had great times there in the past, winning the title also last year. I’m very disappointed that I cannot defend it this year.”
