World number one Jannik Sinner is currently serving his three-month tennis suspension.
The Italian star began his year with a title in Melbourne, as Jannik Sinner beat Alexander Zverev in the final of the Australian Open.
Sinner was then handed a three-month suspension, which will see him miss the first four Masters 1000 events of the 2025 season.
He will likely return to action at his home Italian Open, just two weeks before the French Open kicks off on May 25.
As fans anticipate Sinner’s return, one ATP legend says he is ‘convinced’ he knows what the Italian has been doing since January.
Adriano Panatta is ‘convinced’ Jannik Sinner has improved on clay during his tennis suspension
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Italy’s first Grand Slam champion Adriano Panatta has shared his thoughts on Sinner recently.
“I am convinced that Jannik [Sinner] has used this period to improve his game on clay and has not lost his physical shape; they tell me that he has trained a lot, and fortunately, he has also maintained the top of the rankings,” said Panatta.
“I repeat, I am very optimistic, three months is not a very long time, more would have been a problem, he has used this period to train in a certain way, improving his game and physique.”
Sinner’s lead atop the world rankings has barely shrunk during his suspension, and he remarkably still leads the ATP ‘Race to Turin’ despite playing just one tournament in 2025.
| Rank | Name | Points | 2025 ATP Tournaments played |
| 1 | Jannik Sinner | 2,000 | 1 |
| 2 | Alexander Zverev | 1,665 | 6 |
| 3 | Jack Draper | 1,540 | 4 |
| 4 | Novak Djokovic | 1,510 | 5 |
| 5 | Carlos Alcaraz | 1,410 | 5 |
| 6 | Jakub Mensik | 1,330 | 7 |
| 7 | Felix Auger-Aliassime | 1,195 | 8 |
| 8 | Ben Shelton | 1,110 | 6 |
Panatta, a former champion at the Italian Open and French Open, then predicted whether his countryman would win either tournament in 2025.
“Sooner or later he’ll win them, if not this year it will be next year,” he said.
“He’s mature enough to win everything.”
Adriano Panatta comments on Jasmine Paolini and Matteo Berrettini’s turbulent 2025 seasons
Italian WTA star Jasmine Paolini reached two Grand Slam finals in 2024, breaking through to become one of the top players in women’s tennis
After struggling to match that form in 2025, Paolini recently announced a split with her coach, Renzo Furlan, whom she had worked with for ten years.
Panatta has now voiced his opinions on the split, suggesting that Furlan’s decision to move on was inevitable.
“He will have thought about the decision to change; even Sinner changed [Riccardo] Piatti, who raised him,” he said.
“These things happen; relationships always end sooner or later.”
Paolini will return to action without Furlan by her side at the Stuttgart Open in Germany, which begins on April 14.
The 74-year-old also shared his thoughts on former Italian number one Matteo Berrettini, who has shown promising signs recently.
“After the Wimbledon final he went through a moment of great crisis, but now he is recovering very well,” said Panatta.
“He still lacks a little bit to return to being the best [Matteo] Berrettini, but we are almost there.
“On grass he remains one of the most fearsome.”
Berrettini narrowly lost to Taylor Fritz, 5-7, 7-6, 5-7, in the quarter-finals of the Miami Open, as he reached his first Masters 1000 quarter-final in four years.
Berrettini could well be a threat at Wimbledon later this year as he returns to the tournament at which he made his maiden Major final appearance in 2021.
The big-serving Italian showed his best form on the grass, producing several impressive performances on his way to the final.
Matteo Berrettini’s 2021 Wimbledon run
- 2021 Wimbledon F – Matteo Berrettini lost to [1] Novak Djokovic, 7-6, 4-6, 4-6, 3-6
- 2021 Wimbledon SF – Matteo Berrettini beat [14] Hubert Hurkacz, 6-3, 6-0, 6-7, 6-4
- 2021 Wimbledon QF – Matteo Berrettini beat [16] Felix Auger-Aliassime, 6-3, 5-7, 7-5, 6-3
- 2021 Wimbledon 4R – Matteo Berrettini beat Ilya Ivashka, 6-4, 6-3, 6-1
- 2021 Wimbledon 3R – Matteo Berrettini beat Aljaz Bedene, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4
- 2021 Wimbledon 2R – Matteo Berrettini beat Botic van de Zandschulp, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6
- 2021 Wimbledon 1R – Matteo Berrettini beat Guido Pella, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, 6-0
Berrettini led Novak Djokovic by a set to love in the final before losing in four on Wimbledon’s Centre Court.
It remains to be seen if Berrettini can go one better this time around, but it will certainly be something to look out for when Wimbledon begins on June 30.
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