Jannik Sinner’s ex-coach backs the Italian to turn the situation into ‘something positive’ as he is set to return after three-month suspension
World No. 1 Jannik Sinner who is serving a doping suspension will return to tour in a few weeks.
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Riccardo Piatti and Jannik SInner (via X)
Italian tennis coach Riccardo Piatti has worked with several top-ranked tennis players, such as Maria Sharapova, Novak Djokovic, Richard Gasquet, Ivan Ljubicic, Milos Raonic, and Jannik Sinner. Piatti began coaching Sinner in 2014, when Sinner was around 13 years old.
The pair worked together until early 2022. With Piatti, Sinner won his first professional title, entered the Top 10, and debuted at the Nitto ATP Finals. Piatti recently sat down for an interview with Super Tennis, making a significant endorsement for Sinner as a strong contender for the next three Grand Slam titles of the year.
I am sure that in these months without being able to play tournaments, Sinner has not stopped. He will transform this unpleasant situation into a positive one. I believe he has an important card in his hand to win Roland Garros, Wimbledon, and the US Open.
Riccardo Piatti said via SuperTennis
After Piatti’s split with Sinner, Darren Cahill joined Simone Vagnozzi as a coach for Sinner in July 2022. Cahill coached Sinner to win the 2024 Australian Open and US Open and the 2025 Australian Open. Cahill will part ways with Sinner by the end of the season. Prior to Sinner, Cahill had coached the likes of Andre Agassi, Lleyton Hewitt, and Simona Halep to Grand Slam victories.
Shortly after his Australian Open title defense, Sinner was given a three-month suspension by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) on account of two failed drug tests that the Italian faced last season. The suspension will end next month on May 4, with the 23-year-old being eligible to play in the Rome Masters. Throughout his suspension, neither Alexander Zverev nor Carlos Alcaraz has been able to overtake Sinner for the World No. 1 rank as of yet.
Jack Draper joins Jannik Sinner for practice
As a part of his suspension, Jannik Sinner was permitted to return to “official training activity” on April 13. Before this, the Italian was not allowed to use public tennis courts or gyms and couldn’t train with fellow professional players.
But the World No. 1 returned to practice on clay this week. Long-time friend Jack Draper was spotted helping Sinner out as a sparring partner in nearby Beaulieu-sur-Mer. Sinner and Draper have been good friends, even partnering for doubles at the 2024 Montreal Open, where they made it to the quarterfinals. Draper had also spoken in support of Sinner during the Italian’s suspension. Draper will next play in the Madrid Open.
Serena Williams recently spoke about Jannik Sinner and his doping suspension
Tennis legend Serena Williams was recently named one of the 100 most influential people for 2025 by TIME. In her interview with TIME, the American opened up about her thoughts regarding Jannik Sinner and his ongoing doping suspension.
Williams emphasized that men’s tennis “needs” him, even though she seemed unsure about how serious Sinner’s punishment was. She also added that she would have faced a tougher punishment if it were her, and her Grand Slams could also have been taken away.
Williams also reflected on how Maria Sharapova was treated after her doping case. The 23-time Grand Slam champion shared that she felt some sympathy for her former rival. Williams had an impressive 20-2 head-to-head record over Sharapova.
The Russian had tested positive for meldonium in 2016 at the Australian Open and was banned for two years. The ban was later reduced to 15 months. Like Sinner, her positive doping test was also ruled as unintentional.
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