Jannik Sinner’s return to the professional tour in May is sure to be one of the highlights of this year. The world No. 1 has not played since winning the Australian Open for the second year in a row, having reached an agreement with WADA for a three-month suspension on the eve of the Doha ATP 500.
The Italian ace will be unable to compete in the tournaments of the ATP tour until May 4, a few days before the start of the Rome Masters 1000. The 23-year-old from Sesto Pusteria will be welcomed like a king at the Foro Italico and the president of FITP Angelo Binaghi has already promised that a private suite will be reserved for him to make his experience in Rome as comfortable as possible.
Fans and insiders are already wondering if these three months of ban will affect the level of Jannik, who has been really dominant in the last twelve months. Sinner has won nine titles from January 2024 to date, including three Grand Slams that have propelled him into a new dimension.
Lorenzi opens up on Sinner
The 3-time Grand Slam champion has created such a wide gap to all his opponents in the ATP ranking that he should not lose his leadership despite this suspension.
Alexander Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz would have the theoretical chance of dethroning him, but the chances are really slim for both.
In a recent interview with ‘Il Corriere dello Sport’, former Italian ace Paolo Lorenzi revealed what he expects from Jannik when he returns to action: “It will definitely be a special moment. The Foro Italico will support him in every match and will reserve him a dream welcome, I myself have experienced that feeling as a player.
We will have to give him some time to recover the right automatisms, although fans expect him to compete for the title immediately in Rome.
Three months without playing is quite a long time, despite the fact that he has been able to train and has not had any injuries.
However, it won’t be easy even for a player like him to play his best tennis right away.”
