Sinner Withdraws from China Open During Knee Recovery; Djokovic Returns After 11 Years

World No. 1 and defending champion Jannik Sinner has withdrawn from the China Open, saying his knee rehabilitation has not reached the level required for competition. The news reshapes the ATP 500 event in Beijing from September 30 to October 6 and shifts the spotlight to Novak Djokovic, who returns after 11 years with six Beijing titles and a perfect record at the venue. Sinner last played in July and has skipped Canada, Cincinnati, and the US Open; the withdrawal means he forfeits his title-defense points. Djokovic, now No. 12 after a first-round US Open exit, carries strong legacy appeal but uncertain current form. Sinner's movement-based aggressive baseline game depends heavily on his knees, making the injury a style-level threat, not just a scheduling setback. The ranking math is also unforgiving: a defending champion's absence creates a frozen points base that increases pressure for the rest of the season. Some figures in the source report, including ages and major counts, need to be verified against official ATP records. Watch Sinner's next entry list for the indoor season; Djokovic's run at Beijing will test whether his return narrative matches the present competitive data.