Jannik Sinner Expects A Lot Of Unwanted Attention After Return From Doping Ban
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Jannik Sinner knows exactly what to expect when he makes a long-awaited return from his three-month suspension.
Sinner was suspended for three months in February this year. More than half of those three months have already passed, and the return of the ATP World No. 1 player is closer and closer.
The Italian will make his long-awaited return in front of the home fans at the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Rome. Playing at Foro Italico is always special for Sinner, which is why he usually faces plenty of pressure in the Italian capital. This year, that will be multiplied by questions regarding his three-month ban.
If he manages to stay healthy, Sinner will compete at the 2025 Italian Open in Rome, which starts on May 7th. With only about a month left before his return, the 23-year-old spoke to Sky Sports Italia, saying that he expects a lot of attention when he returns to the courts.
"I can't wait to be back in Rome. It's a special tournament for me, even though it will also be very tough. I'll be back in a moment, in which there will already be a lot of attention on me, and in Rome it's not easy."
Sinner also spoke about how he perceived the three-month ban that he received. The three-time Grand Slam champion was honest about saying that he felt it was unfair.
That's why the period of suspension was challenging for the Italian player. He admitted that he went through plenty of emotions, trying to cope with the fact that he had to spend time away from the courts.
"I was very fragile after what happened. I would tell a lie if I said I was a person without feelings or emotions. In life, you learn. Every year, I learn more about myself, and also about my values. It was not easy, very hard at times, but the people around me gave me the strength to understand what had happened."
Sinner admitted that people around him helped him to stay positive, but he can't expect his rivals to be welcoming too. Many will be happy to see the top-ranked player back on the ATP Tour, but there are also those who think his suspension should have been longer.
But like during the entirety of this process, Sinner remains unbothered by what others think. He wants to focus only on himself, which has worked well for him so far.
"I can't answer this question as I don't know what could happen. I know how things went, I know I am innocent. I am calm because in the end I know that what I want to do is to play tennis and be serene. That's the end of the story. So, I am sure all will go well, even if at the beginning it will take a while to start over. These are questions I don't know how to answer."
