Coco Gauff’s ex-coach sends warning to the rest of the ATP Tour following the return of Jannik Sinner from doping suspension

Jannik Sinner is officially eligible to play professional tennis once again as his suspension is uplifted on May 4.

Coco Gauff’s ex-coach sends warning to the rest of the ATP Tour following the return of Jannik Sinner from doping suspension

Jannik Sinner (via Sky Sports)

Jannik Sinner is officially back on the ATP Tour. The Italian has completed his three-month suspension following a doping case after testing positive for clostebol in March of last year.

With his return, the warning signs are clear for the rest of the field—and Brad Gilbert acknowledges it. Gilbert, who recently coached Coco Gauff, believes that if the Italian shows the same form he displayed at the Australian Open earlier this year, his strong results will be no surprise.

Until the Australian Open, he dominated, and for the past year and a half, he has practically never lost before a semi-final. In my opinion, he should not have missed a single tournament. Rome will help him be in top form for Paris. I say this because no matter how much you train, you can’t recreate the dynamics of a match. You have to play them. It would be important for him to succeed here, after missing the tournament due to injury last year. In the last three months, Draper and Mensik have achieved results, while Alcaraz has struggled a bit with his fitness. Now, everything will depend on Sinner’s return: if he returns to the level he started at, there will be far fewer surprises.

Brad Gilbert said on Corriere Dello Sport

Sinner hasn’t lost many points during his three-month suspension. The main chunk of points he lost came from the Miami Open, where he was the defending champion. He has a lot of points to defend after Wimbledon. The Italian will be the defending champion at both the US Open and the ATP Finals.

Jannik Sinner’s suspension is officially over

World No.1 Jannik Sinner won the Australian Open in January. After that, he didn’t play for more than 100 days. Three weeks later, it was revealed he had accepted a three-month ban. He had failed two doping tests in March, though a panel said he was not at fault.

Jannik Sinner
Jannik Sinner (Image via X/The Tennis Podcast)

Still, officials said Sinner had to take responsibility for his team’s mistake. The banned substance found was clostebol. He was suspended until Sunday night. Now, he is ready to return at the Italian Open.

Despite the break, Sinner stayed world number one. His big win in Melbourne gave him a 3,695-point lead over Alexander Zverev. During Sinner’s absence, there were four Masters events. It looked like a chance for Zverev or Carlos Alcaraz to catch up.

But both players struggled. Zverev lost early in several tournaments, including Acapulco, Indian Wells, and Miami. Alcaraz also dropped points with losses in Doha, Indian Wells, and Miami. Even though he won in Monte Carlo and reached the final in Barcelona, it wasn’t enough to pass Sinner.

Jannik Sinner’s practice partner for the Italian Open revealed

Italian tennis star Jannik Sinner’s three-month suspension ends on Sunday. He will be back on the court on Monday for his first practice at an ATP event since January. The 23-year-old has not played since winning the Australian Open. His return will happen at the Italian Open in Rome this week.

Jannik Sinner
Jannik Sinner (via X)

Sinner missed last year’s Italian Open due to injury. This will be his first time playing there since 2023. The home crowd in Rome is expected to give him a warm welcome. As a top seed, he won’t play in the first round and will join the tournament later.

Fans will get to see Sinner practise on Monday evening. His training session will start at 7 p.m. and will last for two hours. He will be practising with Czech player Jiri Lehecka, who is also 23. Lehecka has won two ATP titles and is currently ranked 27th in the world.

Sinner has already practised with other top players like Jack Draper and Matteo Berrettini in Monte Carlo. He was cleared to resume training on April 13. His quick return to official practice shows he is serious about staying at the top. Sinner has won three of the last five Grand Slams and had a great 2024 season with eight titles.

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