An athlete returning from a doping ban is rarely met with such overwhelming enthusiasm. World No. 1 Jannik Sinner`s comeback to tennis at the Italian Open was marked by an extraordinary display of support, with nearly 5,000 fans filling a stadium just to watch his first practice session on Monday. This coincided with the day his three-month ban from the sport officially ended.
This highly public training session, even televised locally, followed a special ceremony where Sinner was prominently featured, celebrating Italy`s historic victories in both the Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup last year. Both championship trophies were present, and the crowd at Campo Centrale joined in singing the Italian national anthem with fervor.
This Italian Open holds particular significance as it`s the first time the nation has a male World No. 1 competing in its home tournament. Despite the immense attention focused on him, Sinner expressed a degree of bewilderment regarding the scale of his popularity.
“I don`t know. Honestly, I think I`m a simple 23-year-old kid,” Sinner stated. “I play tennis well, but I`m not changing the world. I always remember coming from a small town of 2,000 people. Being here in Rome, playing before this many people, it`s genuinely a big moment.”
The timing of his return, coinciding with a papal conclave set to begin nearby at the Vatican on Wednesday, even inspired creative headlines in local media. Newspapers playfully declared “Habemus Sinner,” a variation of the traditional Latin phrase “Habemus Papam!” announced when a new Pope is elected from the balcony of St. Peter`s Basilica.
This celebratory atmosphere at the Foro Italico stood in stark contrast to Sinner`s feelings back in February, when he received the three-month ban as a result of a settlement reached with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
“Initially, I was quite confused, unsure of what steps to take,” Sinner recalled. “I returned home to be with my family and used the time to reflect on what truly matters to me.”
“I reflected on all the sacrifices I`ve made,” he continued, “and how my daily life always revolved around practice. Suddenly, that was gone. I realized the most important thing is the people supporting you. They provide the strength needed to keep going and stay positive.”
During his time away, besides spending time with family in the German-speaking Alto Adige region of northern Italy, Sinner also connected with friends at his home in Monaco, participated in other sports like cycling, and gradually eased back into tennis training.
“I didn`t touch a racket for about a month, and then we started back very gently,” Sinner explained. “When we increased the intensity, I even got blisters on my hands, which I hadn`t had in ages.”
The ban resulted from a settlement agreed upon after WADA appealed a decision by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) last year. The ITIA had previously exonerated Sinner, ruling that his positive test for a banned anabolic steroid in March 2024 was due to accidental contamination.
However, this settlement sparked some controversy, particularly because its duration conveniently allowed Sinner to avoid missing any Grand Slam tournaments and make his comeback at his home event.
The Italian Open is the final major clay-court tournament before the French Open, which begins on May 25th.
Regarding the ban, Sinner admitted, “Initially, I didn`t want to agree to it, and accepting it was difficult because I knew the truth of what happened. But sometimes, in a tough situation, you have to make the best choice available, and that`s what we did. It`s behind me now, and I`m just happy to be back playing tennis.”
Many fellow professional players reportedly feel Sinner received a lenient punishment for the incident.
Serena Williams, in an interview with Time magazine, commented on similar doping cases, stating she would “have gotten 20 years” if she were involved in such a situation. “Let`s be honest,” she said, “I would have had Grand Slams taken away from me.”
When asked about how other players have reacted to his return, Sinner replied, “I only arrived about 45 minutes ago and haven`t seen many other players yet. Everything seems fine right now, but I haven`t interacted with most of them.”
Sinner Scheduled to Play First Match on Saturday
Sinner`s last competitive appearance was in January, when he successfully defended his title at the Australian Open. Having received a first-round bye in Rome, he is slated to play his opening match on Saturday. His opponent will be either World No. 99 Mariano Navone or 18-year-old Italian wild card Federico Cinà.
The last Italian man to win the prestigious Rome title was Adriano Panatta back in 1976.
Speaking about his expectations for the tournament, Sinner commented, “My expectations for this tournament are very low in general. It feels quite strange initially to be surrounded by so many people and so much attention again. But overall, it`s nice to be back.”
Marcus Bellamy