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An unusual detail about Novak Djokovic’s seventh China Open title was that the last three matches of the tournament all ended without a match point being played. Daniil Medvedev was defaulted for hitting a spectator with a ball, and both semi-finalists in the other half of the draw, Hubert Hurkacz and Alex de Minaur, ultimately retired with injury, the latter in the final itself.
That takes nothing away from Djokovic, who has endured a generally rather torrid year but played some vintage tennis in Beijing. But it once again shines an uncomfortable spotlight on two issues tennis refuses to reckon with: player behaviour, and the much-maligned calendar and its impact on the injuries which have ripped through the Tour of late.
Medvedev’s act of recklessness means he leaves Beijing with no ATP points and no prize money to show for a fine run to the semi-finals. But he at least leaves with his body intact. Hurkacz and De Minaur, the latter pictured fighting back tears after a groin injury, now face indefinite lay-offs and their knock-on effects. The Australian is currently 10th in the live ATP rankings and in with a shout of reaching the season-ending Finals. Djokovic may now sneak in instead.
This unexpectedly attritional edition of the China Open was followed by the news that world No 1 Jannik Sinner has opted to end his season prematurely to undergo treatment on a knee injury. The issue has kept him out of action since he won Wimbledon in early July; he will now not be seen until January at the earliest.
It was telling that the 25-year-old – he is still only 25 – said he “needed to think about my long-term career” when announcing the decision. The Italian won five Masters 1000 tournaments in a row from March to May, four of them widely-reviled two-week events, with little time to recover in between. Sinner made history as the youngest man to complete the career set of Masters. But at what cost?
His rival Carlos Alcaraz is only just back from the wrist injury which sidelined him for nearly five months. After 2025 was the year of “Sincaraz”, where the pair split the four slams and contested a series of finals, including the electrifying French Open showpiece, 2026 has been an absolute dud. The sport’s two biggest stars only met once, in the Monte Carlo final, and have barely been fit at the same time. Tennis’ injury crisis is bigger than two men – but it is damning for a sport competing for airtime and storylines, that its greatest attraction has been a complete footnote to the season.
It wouldn’t be so bad if there was a supporting cast able to take up their mantle, but many of their generation have been sidelined too: Holger Rune has only just returned from an achilles tear sustained this time last year; Jack Draper is a permanent fixture of the physio room having once been world No 4; Arthur Fils missed his home slam with a hip injury before underlining his potential – if he can stay injury-free – by winning his maiden Masters 1000 title in Cincinnati.
In the absence of young starlets Alexander Zverev, surely the most over-promoted man in tennis, has won two grand slam titles, dispensing with just two top-10 opponents in the process. And while Djokovic has failed to take his chances on the biggest stage, and has struggled with the slow, inevitable deterioration of his body, the 39-year-old is still one of the best active players – memorably beating Zverev on his way to the Beijing title. He has made an art form out of playing a heavily reduced calendar to protect his body; Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka have both said they too will now start skipping mandatory tournaments for the sake of their own longevity.
This part of the season often feels like both Tours fall off a cliff, the momentum which sustains players and viewers all the way through the grand slams suddenly vanishing. Emma Navarro, a former US Open semi-finalist, is another to miss out on this Asian swing entirely to prepare for 2027, after opening up about a series of debilitating health conditions which left her exhausted, starving and mentally drained throughout 2023 and 2024.
When the sport pushes players to such extremes, it’s probably time for it to reconsider some things. Maybe an off-season which at least extends into the following calendar year would help, rather than the Australian Open build-up beginning even before New Year’s Eve.
Navarro is one of relatively few high-profile WTA Tour players sidelined compared to the slew on the ATP, but players from both sides have been vocal about the toll injuries are taking. It is hugely significant that one of the key issues of 2026, the players’ dispute with the Tours over prize money and percentages, has been sidelined, with players now targeting calendar reform instead and becoming increasingly vocal about the damage their bodies are sustaining. Enough is enough, they have said. But what will change?
