Four leading players have withdrawn in one go from the main draws in Beijing and Tokyo, the two flagship ATP 500 events of the Asian swing. Wimbledon champion Jannik Sinner has pulled out of his title defence in the Chinese capital with a knee injury. US Open finalist Ben Shelton, meanwhile, is skipping Japan after losing both of his matches on national team duty for the United States. "My knee is not where I would like it to be," Sinner said, candidly explaining his decision. Raphael Collignon has also withdrawn from Beijing, and Joao Fonseca from Tokyo.
The wave of withdrawals has opened the door for alternates from inside the world's top 50. Quentin Halys has taken Sinner's spot, Sebastian Baez has replaced Collignon, and Alex Michelsen and Luca Van Assche have stepped in for Shelton and Fonseca respectively. Shelton, a former Tokyo champion, has climbed to fourth in the rankings. Sinner, by contrast, stands to lose a significant haul of ranking points.
