Italian legend believes Jannik Sinner has been using the three-month suspension “to improve on his clay court game”
Jannik Sinner will be available for the Italian Open, which starts on May 7, three days after ending his three-month suspension.
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Jannik Sinner (Image via ATP/X)
Jannik Sinner is currently serving a three-month suspension after reaching an agreement with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in February. The World No.1 is set to be back on the court in the middle of the European clay season. Italian legend Adriano Panatta believes that Sinner will be fresh and would have sharpened his game.
The three-time Grand Slam champion played his last professional match at the Australian Open final, where he defeated Alexander Zverev in straight sets to defend the title. He was expected to play at the Qatar Open a few weeks later, but he agreed to a three-month suspension with WADA following his positive test for the banned clostebol in March 2024.
His suspension began on the 9th of February and is set to end on the 4th of May, which is just three days before the Italian Open officially starts. The 23-year-old has been reported to be training hard on the court, and he’s hoping to come back stronger. But he will miss the Monte Carlo Masters and Madrid Open, two tournaments he featured in last year.
However, Panatta believes that despite missing two important clay events, Sinner has been sharpening his game on the training court. He added that he has used his time away to improve his physical condition and Tennis.
Sinner is ready for Rome, a break is always good. I am convinced that Jannik has used this period to improve his clay-court game, in addition to not losing physical shape. I hear that he is training a lot, and on top of that, he remains at the top of the rankings. I am very optimistic, three months is not too long. Perhaps more time would have been a problem, but he has used this period to train in a specific way, improving his physical condition and his tennis.
Adriano Panatta said to La Gazzetta dello Sport
Sinner has always been known for getting better on the court as he advances deep in tournaments. It is very hard to substantiate whether training with coaches is the same as competing with fellow players at the highest level. Nevertheless, everything will be revealed when he returns to the court next month.
Adriano Panatta says Jannik Sinner did the “right thing” by agreeing with WADA’s deal
Jannik Sinner always admitted that he never did anything wrong after being initially cleared by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) for his doping case. The agency found the Italian to have bore no fault or negligence for his failed test.
But WADA appealed the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) before they reached an agreement with Sinner. Adriano Panatta said that he doesn’t trust WADA following their resolution.
He has nothing to do with the sanction, and he did the right thing by signing that agreement, because you never know where you might end up with WADA. He is a very smart and mature young man, an example for all athletes because of his behavior. Maybe, he is even too perfect.
Adriano Panatta said
Sinner has received the suspension in good faith after WADA sought a one or two-year ban from CAS. The Italian might have wanted to prove his innocence but it was the best deal to get from the doping saga.
Adriano Panatta believes Jannik Sinner will win the Roland Garros now or in the future
Jannik Sinner has played his best tennis on a hard court while struggling on clay. The 23-year-old failed to win any title on clay last season, the only surface he played without winning a title. However, Adriano Panatta believes the World No.1 will win the French Open, despite his terrible record on the surface.
Sooner or later he will win the tournament (Roland Garros). If he doesn’t win it this year, it will be next year. He is mature enough to win it all.
Adriano Panatta said
Last year, Sinner reached his maiden semi-finals at the French Open, but he was beaten by Carlos Alcaraz in five sets. He will have to do better this year to successfully win the Grand Slam title.
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