Jannik Sinner Lifts Lid On Relationship Speculations Ahead Of His Return

Jannik Sinner clarified the rumors about him having a new girlfriend in his first press conference at the 2025 Italian Open.

The three-time Grand Slam champion is preparing for his first appearance since the 2025 Australian Open after serving the three-month suspension given to him by the World Anti-Doping Agency to settle his case.

Sinner was handed that punishment due to testing positive for clostebol at the 2024 Indian Wells Open. After a lengthy ordeal and the possibility of a hearing at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, the case settlement ended the controversial saga.

Recent speculation indicated that Sinner entered a new relationship during his time on the sidelines. He had been in a relationship with Anna Kalinskaya, but the pair is known to have broken up, despite neither of them wishing to discuss it publicly.

Pictures emerged of Sinner with the Russian model Lara Leito. That led many to think the pair were dating and that the romance might have blossomed while Sinner was banned from professional tennis for three months.

However, the ATP world No. 1 confirmed he is not dating Leito at the start of his press conference. Sinner was surprised to see pictures circulating of him and the model and decided to clarify that they are not together before receiving questions about it.

Sinner left many of the reporters in stitches with his comments about the topic, possibly helping to create a relaxed atmosphere before his first press conference in months.

Despite Sinner being the world No. 1, it could take him a while to adjust after being out for so long. Playing a first match in over three months is not easy for any player, even those who are the best in the world.

Sinner is also less natural on clay than on hard courts. He made significant improvements on the surface last year, reaching a maiden semifinal at Roland Garros, but he remains much more dominant at hard-court tournaments.

Missing much of the clay-court season means the US Open champion is already playing catch-up. Sinner's undoubted desire to do well in front of his home fans in Rome does not change the reality that he will likely be rusty at the start.

It is remarkable that Sinner remained at No. 1 throughout his suspension from professional tennis. Alexander Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz could not seize the opportunity to overtake the Italian while he was banned.

Alcaraz admitted that he let the chance to become the world's No. 1 influence him too much, which stopped him from performing at his best. The Spaniard hopes to learn from that experience in the future.

Sinner and Alcaraz have not faced each other in a professional match since their five-set epic in the 2024 French Open semifinal. Hopefully, they renew their rivalry soon.