Surprise withdrawal has become quite common amid a hectic tennis schedule. Next up in line, we have Jannik Sinner. The Italian has stunned the ATP circuit with his stellar gameplay this year, however, now he has shaken fans with his 11th-hour no-show at a crucial event. The World No. 1 has opted out of the final ATP Masters 1000 event for the season.

The Italian sensation has pulled out of the Paris Masters; having sustained an intestinal virus. While his participation in the French capital will cast little to no effect on his standing as the world-ranking leader, Sinner’s commitment at the ATP Finals seems questionable. For those unaware, Sinner is among four of the eight qualified players for the ultimate showdown – owing to his impressive results this year, including Grand Slam triumphs in Melbourne and New York.

Moreover, the 23-year-old also posted a video wherein he detailed his reasons for the abrupt withdrawal and later, comforted the community with his return to the event next year. “Hey guys Jannik here. I’m very disappointed to tell you that I am not able to play here in this tournament. I came very early here to prepare and then felt sick, having a virus at the moment which is going to pass in the next two to three days so body-wise I’m not ready to compete. I’m very sorry for that but see you guys next year and hopefully, it’s going to be a great year.”

Sinner has added notable feats to his resume this year. To much amazement, he minted the highest paycheque in the history of tennis in Saudi Arabia, however, the Italian negated claims that he participated in the highly lucrative event for mere financial gain.

Jannik Sinner discards having monetary motivation after bagging $6M in Riyadh

Italian superstar Jannik Sinner broke the internet after minting a cool $6M from his victory at the Six Kings Slam exhibition event. It was the largest prize money ever awarded in the sport’s history. Naturally, it was a matter of time before questions started turning up, especially the ones inquiring about how he felt bagging the jaw-dropping purse. However, Sinner voiced an unusual response to his latest feat.

While seated for a pre-tournament presser at the Paris Masters, the Italian noted that he doesn’t “play for money. It’s very simple. It’s a nice prize and everything but for me, I went there because there were possibly the six best players in the world. And then you can measure yourself with them”.

With fortunes as such, Sinner’s luck is far from running out. For now, fans will only hope that the young talent recovers in time to showcase his athletic finesse against the top eight players in Turin and then commence the 2025 season on a positive note as well. Do you think Sinner will be able to replicate this season’s performance next season? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.