With the 2027 Australian Open in sight, Jannik Sinner aims to return to the court in late December

Jannik Sinner wants to be back on court by the end of December, with the Six Kings Slam in Saudi Arabia potentially marking his return as he approaches the Australian Open. The Italian has been sidelined since winning the Wimbledon title in July after beating Alexander Zverev in the final. A problem with his right knee subsequently forced him to withdraw from the US Open, and lingering fitness concerns prevented him from returning.

The extended layoff finally brought Sinner’s season is about to endwith the 25-year-old confirming last month that he will not compete again in 2026.

His absence also cost him first place in the ATP rankings. Zverev returned to number one last weekthus ending Sinner’s 95-week reign as the world’s highest-ranked player.

“The aim is to go to Australia, the aim is also to maybe play a couple of tournaments first,” Sinner said at a sponsorship event in Milan on Tuesday. “But I have to respect the protocols at this point, because if we rush things, we could have more serious problems.

“Also, I only have the information that I have to work hard every day for that goal and then we will see.”

The Six Kings Slam, an exhibition tournament held in Saudi Arabia, has been postponed to the last week of December after being postponed due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

“That (is the goal), but we all know what the situation is at the moment, which is not the best, so this is not our decision as players, this is a more general decision,” Sinner told The Associated Press.

“But I think if we want to prepare for Australia (and I haven’t played since Wimbledon), some games before that could be very useful.

Although the event does not offer ATP ranking points, it does offer significant prize money. Sinner won the second year of the tournament last year and could use this year to regain his match sharpness before the new season.

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