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World No. 1 Jannik Sinner has received a hero’s welcome at home in Italy after returning from his three-month suspension for twice testing positive for traces of a banned substance.
Following his Australian Open triumph, the Italian star accepted a three-month ban from the World Anti-Doping Agency after the organisation accepted he “had no intent and did not derive any competitive advantage from the two positive tests”.
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The punishment meant Sinner did not miss any grand slam tournaments and returned in time for his home Italian Open, which started in Rome on Monday, with Australians Olivia Gadecki, Ajla Tomljanovic and Maya Joint clinching wins in qualifying.
But Sinner made clear he was reluctant to accept the offer from WADA given his belief that he had done nothing wrong — his trainer had used the banned substance to treat a cut on his finger — a point accepted by the anti-doping authority in the settlement.
“This kind of agreement, I didn’t want to do it in the beginning,” Sinner said.
“It was not easy for me to accept it because I know what really happened, but sometimes we have to choose the best in a very bad moment.”
Nearly 5000 fans attended Sinner’s first practice session on Monday, the day after his three-month banishment from the sport expired.
The 23-year-old, who was able to retain his top spot in the rankings despite missing significant tournaments in Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo and Madrid, confessed it was “strange” to be back on the tennis circuit.
“It’s a very strange feeling again, to be around with so many people and attention,” Sinner told reporters on Monday.
“But it’s nice to be back. Me and my team are very happy.”
During his suspension, anti-doping rules barred Sinner from entering sanctioned sporting arenas, meaning he wasn’t permitted to attend other professional sporting events.
“To be honest, for me, the toughest part was that, in the beginning, I couldn’t watch any other sport, really, in real life,” Sinner explained.
“I don’t know how many (people) know this, but, for example, watching a simple football match in a stadium, I couldn’t go there to watch it. I wanted to support my friends in cycling or motor sport, I couldn’t go there. That, for me, was the toughest part.
“All things considered, I tried to make the best out of it, being ready mentally from the point when I started again to play tennis and that’s it. I was very glad to also spend some time with my family.”
WADA rules also prevent suspended players from training in an officially-sanctioned tournament venue or alongside any other professional athlete until one month before their ban expires.
“At the start I was a bit confused because I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do,” Sinner said.
“Then I went home and stayed with my family. I tried to understand better what was really important to me.
“I know how many sacrifices I made and my daily routine was always practice, practice, practice. But at that moment I didn’t have any of that. I came to understand that what’s important to me are the people by your side. That they give you the strength to move forward and continue smiling.
“We went about a month without touching (a racket) and then we restarted really softly.
“When we started pushing more, blisters developed on my hands. That was something I hadn’t experienced in a long time.”
Sinner’s first opponent on his return from the three-month doping ban could be compatriot Federico Cina.
The reigning US Open champion has been given a bye into the second round of the Italian Open, where he awaits the winner of 18-year-old Cina’s match with Argentine Mariano Navone, who has sound clay court credentials.
Sinner won’t face his big rival and reigning Roland Garros champion Carlos Alcaraz, who won in Monte Carlo but skipped the Madrid Masters due to injury, before the final.
World No. 7 Casper Ruud, who clinched the biggest title of his career when winning the Madrid Open, is a potential opponent in the quarter-finals.
World No. 3 Alcaraz withdrew injured from the Madrid tournament and has not yet arrived in Rome. The Spaniard could face Britain’s Jack Draper, beaten by Ruud in the Madrid final, in the last eight.
Australian star Alex de Minaur, who was a semifinalist in the Monte Carlo Masters, and reigning Canadian Open champion Alexei Popyrin have first round byes courtesy of their seedings. De Minaur, the No.7 seed, is in Sinner’s half of the draw.
It will be a case of Australia versus France in opening round battles, with Rinky Hijikata to play Corentin Moutet while Jordan Thompson faces Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard.
Compatriots Chris O’Connell and Aleks Vukic, who regained his form in Portugal last week, face qualifiers.
Tomljanovic, a three-time grand slam quarterfinalist, will play fellow Billie Jean King Cup representative Gadecki for a chance to join compatriots Daria Kasatkina and Kimberley Birrell in the main draw, while Joint is pitted against Switzerland’s Viktorija Golubic in the second round of the qualifying draw.
