ROME — Jannik Sinner made a triumphant return to the tennis courts after serving a doping ban, securing a victory at the Italian Open on Saturday. Sinner, ranked at the top-pick-player spot, defeated Mariano Navone, ranked 99th, with a score of 6-3, 6-4 in front of an enthusiastic crowd on his home turf.
This match marked Sinner’s first appearance since his Australian Open win in January, his third Grand Slam title. Despite the long break due to his suspension, Sinner seemed to quickly recover his competitive edge, taking three games to regain his focus.
“It’s an amazing feeling,” Sinner expressed after the match. “I have waited for this moment a long time and am very happy to be back.” Despite the long absence, Sinner showed little sign of being out of practice. The Italian player thrilled fans with his powerful shots, especially when he broke Navone’s serve for a 3-1 lead in the first set, stirring the crowd into cheers of “Ole, ole, ole, Sin-ner, Sin-ner.”
However, Sinner confessed to having doubts over his ability to return to his pre-ban form. “It’s normal to have doubts,” he reflected. “It would be strange not to have any doubts, as that would sound very arrogant, right? I had doubts before stepping onto the court today. I still have doubts about what’s ahead in future matches. But living with doubts means you care, want to improve, and aim to achieve something special.”
Heroes’ welcomes awaited him from the 10,500-strong sold-out crowd, many wearing orange, his theme color, and holding banners saying “Bentornato Jannik” (“Welcome back Jannik”). His victory maintained his impressive winning streak, now extending to 22 matches since October.
“Things went very well at times,” Sinner commented on his performance. “While improvements can always be made, today’s result didn’t matter. It’s been a remarkable day for me.” His three-month doping suspension ended in time for him to participate in the event.
Sinner’s suspension arose after an agreement with the World Anti-Doping Agency. This decision followed an appeal by WADA against the International Tennis Integrity Agency’s previous exoneration of Sinner for what was considered accidental contamination by a banned substance.
Despite the controversies surrounding his suspension, Sinner remains Italy’s beloved sports figure, seen as evident from the Foro Italico’s supportive night session crowd. An energetic atmosphere welcomed him, characterized by shouts from fans urging him to “destroy” Navone after an impressive backhand approach winner.
One clever sign in the audience alluded to both his return and a recent papal election, humorously declaring, “After three months of conclave, Habemus Papam!” echoing the traditional proclamation from St. Peter’s Basilica upon a new pope’s election.
“The crowd’s strength was incredible,” Sinner remarked. “Their support during challenging times made this moment particularly special,” he noted. Despite a late stumble when he failed to confirm a break, Sinner recovered to win the match, displaying an arsenal of 21 winners against Navone’s 10, though he also had more unforced errors.
“Finding the right feedback is challenging without matches,” Sinner acknowledged. “But that’s precisely what I need, as the best practice is the match itself.” Looking ahead, Sinner’s next match will be against Jesper De Jong from the Netherlands, currently ranked 93rd, following De Jong’s decisive win over Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
The last notable Italian male victor in Rome was Adriano Panatta in 1976. “Hopefully, I can continue for one or two more matches here, which would be my main goal to gauge my current standing,” Sinner expressed.
In the women’s event, star player Iga Swiatek suffered a surprising 6-1, 7-5 defeat against Danielle Collins. This third-round loss marks Swiatek’s earliest exit in a prominent WTA event in nearly four years. Swiatek, known as the leading clay-court player among women, had also faced a tough defeat against Coco Gauff in the recent Madrid Open semifinals. She now has a 15-day period to recover her form ahead of the French Open, beginning on May 25, where she has previously claimed four of her five Grand Slam victories.