Jannik Sinner was on top of the world after claiming the Wimbledon title, but little did he know that he would not play again in the 2026 season.

The Italian has missed six months of action due to a knee injury, which forced him out of some of the biggest tournanents on the calendar, including the US Open, the Paris Masters, and the ATP Finals.

As a result of his absence, Sinner has lost his world No 1 status to Alexander Zverev and he is now eyeing up a return at the Australian Open next year.

Sinner held a press conference in Italy to talk about his injury, his career, and everything in between, and he was asked if any of his ATP rivals got in touch with him after he ended his season.

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“When I officially announced the end of my season, [Matteo] Berrettini and [Jack] Draper messaged me straight away,” said the five-time Grand Slam champion.

“Jack is also going through a difficult time, so he understands me well. [Carlos] Alcaraz had messaged me, just as I message him. It made me happy.”

Berrettini and Sinner are, of course, Davis Cup teammates and they both helped Italy win the title in 2024.

Draper, meanwhile, is known to be a close friend of Sinner, as they came through the early ranks of the ATP Tour together.

In a 2025 interview with The Telegraph, Sinner described Draper as ‘one of the best friends I have on the tour.’

“We are quite similar in the way we make a lot of sacrifices to be the best we can,” he explained. “He came also, when I was banned. He came to Monaco to practise there and everything was great.”

Sinner and Alcaraz share a deep respect too, as they have battled it out several times over the years as they both try and claim top spot on the ATP Tour.

The pair have played each other 17 times already in their short careers, with Alcaraz leading the head-to-head with 10 victories.

2026 has seen their rivalry put on ice due to injuries to both men. They have only played each other once, which came at the Monte Carlo Masters, where Sinner won in the final in straight sets.

Sinner’s decision to end his 2026 season early ahead of the Asian swing led Alcaraz to criticise the gruelling nature of the ATP Tour at the Shanghai Masters.

“One of the reasons we had to see the players who are getting injured, they [ATP officials] are pushing us too much out of the line sometimes to play a lot of tournaments, to play a lot of matches.

“It’s getting in the wrong direction,” he continued. “I just wish Jannik the best for these months, just to be in good shape for the next season.”