Jannik Sinner’s much-anticipated return to the ATP Tour happens this week at the Italian Open in Rome after serving a three-month suspension for doping. There are worse ways to make a comeback to the circuit than in the country of your birth. Matteo Berrettini was a Wimbledon finalist and Lorenzo Musetti is a fabulous athlete. But Sinner makes hitting a ball look as easy as promoting a brand of Espresso on billboards. Forza, Lavazza.
The world No. 1 tested positive for the banned substance clostebol in March 2024, claiming that it was unwittingly applied through his physiotherapist. That verdict was initially accepted by an independent tribunal, but the World Anti-Doping Agency originally sought a significant ban of up to two years. After a protracted timeline that included strong representation from the player’s legal team, Wada accepted that the 23-year-old did not intend to cheat but was liable for his team’s negligence.
The settlement between the parties has had its critics to say the least, and some within the game argue that the U.S. Open champion has received favorable treatment.
“I didn’t want to do it [agree a settlement] in the beginning, so it was not easy for me to accept it because I know what really happened,” Sinner has insisted. “For me personally, it’s good news that there are not the Grand Slams included.”
Is it a happy homecoming? Sinner has landed on his feet with the actual draw, given that he will either play the world No. 99 or an Italian qualifier Federico Cina on Saturday. Then things will get considerably harder with Madrid Open winner Casper Ruud and Taylor Fritz potential last-eight and semifinal opponents.
Sinner’s expectations have been put on hold for now. “For me, what’s missing is the complete feedback of where my level is. That’s going to come slowly with time. After the first round match, I’m going to have a better picture of myself, where I am at,” he told the ATP Tour.
In the last week, the current Flushing Meadows and Australian Open champion has admitted he was close to quitting the game during the furore over his case. For a man who sees the court as a safety net, the internal trauma was affecting his world view or, more importantly, the way the world saw him.
“When I arrived in Australia in January, I was uncomfortable, also because it seemed to me that the other players looked at me differently. For a moment, I even thought about giving up everything,” Sinner told Italian TV station RAI.
Sinner has been out out of action since his supremacy at the Australian Open, where he dispatched every opponent from the quarterfinals without dropping a set. It was Peak Sinner. A hampered Novak Djokovic beat a frustrated Carlos Alcaraz in Melbourne but then had to withdraw injured against Alexander Zverev. Djokovic has pulled out of Rome and is struggling to put any kind of run together on the most unforgiving surface of them all.
Meanwhile, Alcaraz and Zverev failed to take advantage of Sinner’s absence at the Sunshine Double. Despite winning the BMW Open in his home country, the German hasn’t looked like a natural No.1 seed and is at odds with his game. He’s already admitted doubts about whether he can ever win a big one in the aftermath of that Australian Open final.
Alcaraz is the man who has started to find the right gears for the clay swing as he won in Monte-Carlo and was runner-up at the Barcelona Open. Sinner still has a significant lead of over 1600 points at the top of the rankings and a 21-match unbeaten streak that was stopped in its tracks. As a preliminary for Roland Garros, a good run in Rome will do just fine to get the rust out of the racket.
When Sinner entered the room for his pre-tournament press conference, it felt he was among professional friends as the applause emanated from some of the media corps. When he took to the practice session on Stadio Centrale, there was another outburst of appreciation from the Italian crowd. He has served his time, and the opposition aren’t in the greatest shape to throw him off his guard with their game.
It remains to be seen if Sinner can recapture that sense of focus and deadly efficiency before he was banished. The joy of playing again might need extra time. The French Open is the real test that he still has the right stuff between the ears.
