Corriere: Sinner could go under the knife!

Andrés Tomás Rico - 27 Sep 2026 | 10:55
ATP Jannik Sinner

Reports from Italy indicate that Sinner's knee injury, which has kept him off the courts since Wimbledon, may be more serious than it appears.

 

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Corriere: Sinner could undergo surgery! Photo: Getty Images

Alarms are raised with Jannik Sinner. The world number one, who has not played a tournament since defending his title at Wimbledon, is still struggling to recover from his knee problems that caused him to miss the Masters 1000 in Cincinnati and the US Open and recently the ATP 500 in Beijing. What started as a minor discomfort has led to an injury and, from Italy, the concern is such that discussions about a possible surgery are beginning to arise.

Sinner returned to Milan, not only to attend the Gucci show, but to visit the La Madonnina clinic again for further tests. Gabriele Parpiglia, the same journalist who anticipated that the Italian would not play the US Open, revealed, and Corriere dello Sport confirmed, that the injury involves iliotibial band syndrome (ITBS).

“The iliotibial band is a thick, strong, and inelastic band of fibrous tissue. It originates in the pelvis, runs along the entire outer thigh, and inserts into the tibia, just below the knee. It acts like a steel cable that stabilizes the leg. The problem begins just above the knee. There, the band passes over a protrusion of the femur, the lateral epicondyle. Every time the knee flexes and extends, it slides over it, until the tissue between the band and the bone becomes inflamed. That’s why it’s called ‘extraarticular’: the damage isn’t inside the knee, but outside,” the aforementioned journalist said.

Jannik Sinner's injury could allow Alexander Zverev to become the new number one in Shanghai

Parpiglia explained that to try to resolve this issue, Sinner is undergoing a conservative treatment based on rest, physiotherapy, and intensive work on the hips and glutes, along with physical therapy, injections, and a gradual return to normal training.

It is here that he revealed that if this treatment continues to be ineffective there would be a risk of having to resort to surgery. However, he pointed out that this is a remote possibility and an extreme scenario, and no potential downtime has been discussed, but he also implied that it is almost certain he will not participate in the Masters 1000 in Shanghai.

This situation significantly increases Alexander Zverev's chances of becoming the world number one even before the indoor European tour. If he manages to lift the title at the ATP 500 in Beijing and the Masters 1000 in Shanghai, there would be a ‘passing’ and he would lead the rankings.

But if he does not succeed, he will have many more opportunities in the indoor hard court European tour, where Jannik Sinner defends a staggering 3,000 points for his titles at the ATP Finals, Masters 1000 in Paris, and ATP 500 in Vienna. We will have to see the evolution, but the short-term future of the Italian is uncertain. Few certainties and much concern.

 

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Corriere: ¡Sinner podría pasar por el quirófano!