New Delhi. Reigning Wimbledon champion and five-time Grand Slam winner Yannick Sinner will not participate in the Cincinnati Open due to a right knee injury. The tournament's official social media account confirmed his withdrawal on Sunday. With Sinner's withdrawal, two young tennis superstars—Sinner and his longtime rival Carlos Alcaraz—will be absent from the tournament.

The tournament's official handle shared the news, wishing Sinner a speedy recovery and saying they look forward to seeing the 2024 champion on the court again next year.

Sinner won the title in 2024

Yannick Sinner won the Cincinnati Open title last year. He defeated Frances Tiafoe 7-6 (7-4), 6-2 in the final to lift the trophy. The tournament's withdrawal due to injury is considered a major blow to the tournament organizers.

The Cincinnati Open is scheduled to be held from August 13th to 23rd. Following this, the US Open, the year's final Grand Slam, will be played from August 30th to September 13th.

Alcaraz will also not play due to injury

Sinner's biggest rival, Carlos Alcaraz, has also withdrawn from the Cincinnati Open. The seven-time Grand Slam champion will not be able to defend his title from last year.

Alcaraz has been away from competitive tennis since suffering a wrist injury during the Barcelona Open in April. The injury also prevented him from participating in the French Open and Wimbledon.

Preparing for a US Open Return

Alcaraz is now focused on returning to the US Open. The 23-year-old Spaniard will enter this year's US Open as the defending champion. Over the past few weeks, he has been working on his fitness, first doing strength and conditioning training and later resuming full training sessions in Cincinnati.

However, due to Sinner's knee injury and Alcaraz's wrist problem, the Cincinnati Open will see a reduced presence of star players this time around. Both young stars now have their sights set on the US Open, where they will be looking to return to the court fully fit.