Tennis star Jannik Sinner is set to return to the Rome Masters next month, after being away from professional tennis for three months due to a doping ban. Even after being absent for months, he has held onto being the number one ranking, and expects a difficult path when the Italian takes to the court again next month.
Sinner Prepares for Rome Masters After Doping Ban
The 23-year-old was last seen winning the Australian Open, successfully defending his title by 6-3, 7-6(4), 6-3, against the talented Alexander Zverev in a straight three-set match final. Following the tournament, the Italian star accepted a ban in February after he tested positive two times by the World Anti-Doping Agency.
As a professional tennis player who loves to spend time on the court being engaged in highly competitive tournaments, it is certain that he would need some time to regain his rhythm.
About his recent form and training during his ban period, Sinner said to ORF Sudtirol: “We’re training very hard. Hopefully we’ll get some momentum going again ahead of the clay season. It certainly won’t be easy for me. I think at the beginning of the three months, it was quite nice.”
According to Sinner, he has been spending a lot of time in the hard yards so that his return, ahead of the French Open and Rome Masters, would be smoother. Similarly, the ATP 1000 Masters is set to kick off on May 7, three days after his doping ban ends.
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To add more hype to his return, the three-time Grand Slam champion recently took to Instagram to share the story, posing with Jack Draper during a training session and quoting, “Back on court, thanks @Jack Draper.”
The World No. 1 further added that the 3-month period gave him the opportunity to spend time with his family and be in good shape before his return. He said, “I think at the beginning of the three months, it was quite nice. A bit of time away from all the grind, I spent time with family and with friends. I was doing new things and getting to know myself better, finding out where I stand. I think it helped me a lot.”
Reactions from Volandri and Nadal
Jainnik Sinner’s friendly and charismatic presence, on and off the court, has helped him to make lots of friends, especially Italy’s Davis Cup captain, Filippo Volandri, who held his hands during a difficult period of his life. According to Volandri, Sinner might take some time to find his rhythm after being three months away from the game.
But having said that, Sinner’s preparation during the ban period has made him physically and mentally strong, and he is more focused on Roland Garros. His preparation, over the past three months, will certainly be beneficial.
Another legend of the sport, Rafael Nadal, shares his insights on the doping ban served by Sinner. Nadal is sure that a player like Sinner would never try to cheat or gain an advantage, as he believes in playing a fair game. And since Sinner came out as innocent, the tests were believed to be accidentally reporting positive.
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