Mayes Yousef
Jannik Sinner will retain his world No. 1 ranking as he prepares to return to competition following a three-month doping suspension, though the Italian admits he expects a challenging comeback when he takes the court at the Rome Masters next month.
Sinner, who hasn’t played since capturing the Australian Open title at the start of the season, accepted a doping ban in February after reaching a settlement with the World Anti-Doping Agency. The agreement came after the agency appealed a tribunal's decision to clear him despite two positive tests.
The 23-year-old was cleared to resume training on April 13, with his suspension officially ending on May 4 — just days before his highly anticipated return at the Italian Open. Thanks to Alexander Zverev’s early exit in Monte Carlo, Sinner is guaranteed to enter his home tournament still holding the No. 1 spot.
"We’re training very hard. Hopefully, we can build some momentum for the clay season, but I know it won’t be easy," Sinner told broadcaster ORF Südtirol. "The first matches will definitely be tough, but hopefully I can find my rhythm again and go from there."
During his time away, Sinner stayed active, recently training with Britain’s world No. 6 Jack Draper at Tennis Club de Beaulieu in France. Reflecting on his forced break, Sinner found positives in the downtime.
"At the start of the three months, it was actually quite nice," he said. "I spent time with family and friends, tried new things, and got to know myself better. I think it helped me a lot."