Sinner out for the season: his knee goes to the “snow magician”, Fils calls the tour “strange”

Jannik Sinner’s racket goes quiet for a month. The Italian hurt his right knee over the summer, ended his season in early October and handed the number one ranking to Alexander Zverev. He has not played a tournament since his Wimbledon title on 12 July. According to RMC Sport, the knee now goes to Dr Herbert Schoenhuber, an orthopaedic surgeon at a Milan clinic nicknamed the “snow magician”: the clinic’s social media confirmed that the player, back home in South Tyrol, will be treated there. No date for a procedure has been given.

A surgeon who fixes skiers

The nickname is earned. A former president of the medical commission of the Italian winter sports federation, Schoenhuber treated Sofia Goggia’s left knee sprain and minor fibula fracture three weeks before the Beijing 2022 Games, and she went on to take silver in downhill. He also looked after Alberto Tomba throughout his career. Sinner’s schedule now fits on one line: a month without a racket, then the build-up to the Australian Open, from 17 to 31 January.

“It is always the youngest players who get injured”

In Shanghai, where he plays his third round against Botic Van De Zandschulp on Monday, Arthur Fils reacted to the withdrawal. Asked by Spazio Tennis, the Frenchman described life on tour: “We travel every week, we play every week in different conditions, with different time changes, and it is very, very intense.” Then he pointed at what puzzles him: “It is strange, in a way, because it is always the youngest players who get injured. We see it right now with Jannik, but also with Carlos, myself, Jack.” Carlos Alcaraz has repeatedly complained about an overloaded calendar.

On the Shanghai court, the market makes Fils a strong favourite for his third round at 1.22 with Betway: almost eight chances in ten of going through. Our full read of the match, the surface and each player’s fatigue, is in the match preview.