Jannik Sinner admits what’s been happening in his training which he doesn’t understand ahead of his return to tennis

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Jannik Sinner has been making preparations for his return to the ATP Tour after being banned for three months.

Sinner has been suspended since February, after accepting a three month ban from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

This ban received a big reaction, with Sinner recently responding to critics who have suggested that he has been given preferential treatment.

Despite missing numerous big tournaments during his absence, Sinner remains as world number one ahead of his highly anticipated return.

Jannik Sinner admits what has been happening in training that he doesn’t understand

Sinner has recently been stepping up his training sessions, as his return tournament at the Italian Open looms.

This has included Sinner practising with Jack Draper, as well as his compatriot Lorenzo Sonego.

While he is looking forward to returning to the matchcourt in Rome, Sinner told Italian news outlet TG1 that his tennis level has dipped at points during training.

“I am doing pretty well,” said Sinner. “Last year was definitely very stressful. We still managed to get some really incredible results. This year too, we started off very well then something happened. It was a little strange at first, wasn’t it? In the situation I found myself in.

“Even off the court some things happened that I didn’t expect but here we we are slowly I’m getting back into the rhythm of real training with a goal in front of me.

“I’m also training with some strong players, to see [the level I’m at]. Sometimes it goes very well, sometimes there is a decline and I don’t know why, so I will definitely be very happy to return to the match, especially in Rome which is a special tournament for me. But I will definitely enter with a slightly different mentality.”

Will Jannik Sinner be able to continue like he left off at the Italian Open?

Sinner won the Australian Open in his last tournament, and has not lost a match since the China Open final at the start of October.

As he now attempts to transition from his favored hard courts to clay, Sinner will return to the Italian Open next week.

Sinner was forced to miss the Italian Open last year due to a hip injury, and it is also one of his worst performing Masters 1000 tournaments.

Having won only 64% of his matches in Rome, Sinner’s best performance came in 2022 when he reached the quarter-finals.

His last appearance at the Rome tournament came in 2023, when he lost in the fourth round to Francisco Cerundolo.

However, 2025 will be Sinner’s first appearance in Rome as the world number one.

The main draw of the Italian Open gets underway on Wednesday April 7, with Novak Djokovic already withdrawing from the tournament.