Sinner's absence opens the door as Zverev chases world No. 1 ranking
Jannik Sinner's prolonged absence from the tennis tour is reshaping the battle for the world No. 1 ranking. The South Tyrol native has not played since winning Wimbledon on 12 July, sidelined by inflammation in his right knee that has now forced four consecutive tournament withdrawals. With Sinner missing the ATP 500 event in Beijing and unlikely to appear at next week's Masters 1000 in Shanghai, Germany's Alexander Zverev has a clear path to close the gap.
The ranking math facing both players
Sinner begins October with 11,000 ranking points. Zverev sits second on 9,630 points — a difference of 1,370 points. The margin has already shrunk from 1,810 points two weeks ago, and it could narrow further depending on results in Asia.
Zverev cannot overtake Sinner this week in Beijing even if he wins the title. But the picture changes if Sinner also withdraws from Shanghai (7–18 October), where the winner takes home 1,000 points. A victory for Zverev in Beijing is worth 500 points, while reaching the Masters 1000 final in Shanghai would add another 600. Strong results in both tournaments would bring him within striking distance of the top spot before the European indoor season.
Sinner's next scheduled appearance is the ATP 500 in Vienna (26 October–1 November), where he is the defending champion. A return there seems more probable than Shanghai, but nothing is confirmed.
What medical details explain Sinner's layoff
The injury is described by the player's team as inflammation in the right knee, and specialists have pointed to iliotibial band syndrome, commonly called "runner's knee". The iliotibial band is a thick tissue running along the outer thigh; when inflamed, it causes pain where the band passes over a bony prominence of the femur. Treatment has included rest, physiotherapy and shockwave therapy at the J Medical facility in Turin. Some commentators have questioned whether the problem is more complex than simple inflammation, but the camp has not announced any need for surgery.
Italian results in Beijing
Flavio Cobolli's bid to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin suffered a setback in the Chinese capital. The Roman, ranked No. 7 in the world and seeded fourth at the China Open, lost 6–3, 6–2 to Russian Roman Safiullin (No. 84) in the first round. Safiullin broke early in each set and held serve without difficulty, closing the match in one hour and 24 minutes.
Zverev opened his campaign with a 7–6 (7/1), 6–4 win over Britain's Cameron Norrie (No. 40). It was his ninth victory over Norrie in as many meetings. The German will next face either Argentine Sebastian Baez (No. 51) or Chinese wildcard Shang Juncheng (No. 250).
Italian results in Tokyo
The ATP 500 event at the Ariake Colosseum produced mixed fortunes for the Italian contingent.
Matteo Berrettini rallied after losing the first set to beat Spain's Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 1–6, 7–6, 6–4. The Rome native, currently No. 43 in the rankings, next faces Paraguay's Adolfo Daniel Vallejo (No. 58) in the second round.
Luciano Darderi scored the standout win of his season, defeating sixth seed Casper Ruud 7–6, 6–3. The No. 20-ranked Italian will face French qualifier Kyrian Jacquet (No. 86) for a place in the quarter-finals.
Matteo Arnaldi moved past Japan's Rei Sakamoto and now faces a much tougher task: top seed Carlos Alcaraz. The Spaniard struggled to find his rhythm in his opener against American Alex Michelsen, eventually winning 7–6, 4–6, 6–1 in two hours and 31 minutes. Alcaraz later told reporters that rain had prevented him from training outdoors before the match, calling the slow court surface "frustrating".
A farewell in Japan
Kei Nishikori played his final professional match on home soil, falling 6–4, 6–4 to American Frances Tiafoe. The 36-year-old, who reached a career-high ranking of No. 4, was a US Open finalist in 2014 and won Olympic bronze at Rio 2016. He retires with 12 ATP titles after 19 years on tour.
"Playing in Japan is always a special moment," Nishikori told the crowd during an on-court ceremony. "I'm proud that I didn't give up and played until the end."
The debate over Grand Slam format
Zverev used his Beijing press conference to address a proposal that would reduce early-round matches at Grand Slam tournaments from best-of-five sets to best-of-three. Some tournament officials have suggested the change could attract younger fans put off by matches that stretch late into the night.
"I don't know a single player who would want to play best-of-three sets," Zverev said. "It's the hardest thing to achieve in our sport precisely because you play best-of-five, and then it's history."
The 29-year-old, who won both Roland Garros and the US Open this year, joked that perhaps only Novak Djokovic — "who is starting to get a certain age" — might welcome shorter matches.
The topic has divided opinion. Carlos Alcaraz has said removing five-set matches would "kill the legacy of Grand Slams", while Nick Kyrgios has floated a compromise: best-of-three until the quarter-finals, then best-of-five for the final rounds. No changes have been formally announced by any of the four Grand Slam events.
