Sinner Back on Court in Turin: First Knee Test Ahead of Beijing

Jannik Sinner was back on court on Monday, September 7, at the Circolo Stampa Sporting in Turin, his first session with a racket in hand since he withdrew from the US Open. The world number one worked with a few members of his staff and stopped to sign autographs for those who had come to see him.

The problem with his right knee wiped out his entire American summer. He withdrew from Montreal on July 24, then Cincinnati on August 9, and finally pulled out of the US Open on August 21. Tests found no structural damage: it's tendon inflammation linked to overuse, and his medical staff had ordered him to stop training until September 6. In recent weeks Sinner made repeated visits to J|Medical in Turin for treatment.

On Sunday he was at the Monza Grand Prix, and in the evening at the Allianz Stadium for Juventus-Milan. Asked about the knee, he answered "everything's fine", the same line repeated on both occasions. The next day he was on a tennis court.

The stated goal remains the China Open in Beijing, the ATP 500 running from September 30 to October 6, followed by the Shanghai Masters 1000. The comeback isn't confirmed and depends on how the knee responds to the load in the coming weeks: there are just over three between his first rally in Turin and the start of the Chinese tournament.

The rest of this season's calendar is heavy. After Asia come Vienna, Paris and the Turin Finals, and Sinner has already missed three tournaments in a row. A first session at a city club doesn't yet say anything about his condition. It does say that the September 6 date was respected.