Jannik Sinner confirmed he was suffering from a viral illness on Tuesday and would be resting and recovering.

After having received a first-round bye, Sinner was originally scheduled to start his tournament run on Wednesday against Ben Shelton.

The top seed’s exit now leaves Carlos Alcaraz as the highest ranked player in the draw.

The Australian and US Open champion now has just two weeks to recover before the ATP Finals in Turin, where the world’s top eight players will compete from November 10-17.

Carlos Alcaraz reacts to bad Jannik Sinner news

The pair were hotly anticipated to meet in the final, with Sinner and Alcaraz have already established a fabulous rivalry.

With the Spaniard having got the better of Sinner three times this year, the number one got his revenge at the Six Kings Slam in Saudi Arabia ten days ago.

Alcaraz pipped Sinner at the line in Beijing to deliver the Italian’s only defeat in his last 26 matches.

Reacting to the news, the 21-year-old said: “It’s never good news when the best player in the world withdraws from a tournament. I wouldn’t meet him before the final but I love to see him playing as a tennis fan.

Suggesting that the rest of his ATP tour mates would be pleased to see the Italian absent, he added: “Probably the players in his part of the draw are happy but it’s not good news to my eyes.”

Carlos Alcaraz craves the ultimate test

While many might publicly express their sympathy at the news of Sinner’s departure, quietly they will be rubbing their hands.

For the likes of Alexander Zverev or Stefanos Tsistipas, a winning end to 2024 now looks far more possible.

With the most in-form and best hard-court player out of the draw, their odds have just doubled.

For Alcaraz however, you feel he is genuinely upset at the news, frustrated that he won’t get to test himself another time against the best in the world.

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