Jannik Sinner has dominated the sport over the past 12 months but has now received some tough news.
The Italian world number one enjoyed Grand Slam success just one month ago, as Sinner won the Australian Open, beating Alexander Zverev in the final.
Standing atop the tennis world, Sinner knew things could come crashing down at any moment, as he waited for an appeal on his doping case that could’ve seen him banned for up to two years.
It was announced earlier on Saturday that Sinner had accepted a three-month ban from the sport that will see him out of action until May.
The 23-year-old will miss several big tournaments over the coming months, although fans of the ATP Tour star may still have an opportunity to see him in action soon.
Jannik Sinner could still appear at Las Vegas exhibition tournament next month
Earlier this month, it was announced that Sinner would participate in the Las Vegas MGM Rewards Slam, which begins on March 2.
“Excited to be part of the MGM Rewards Slam at Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas,” he said.
“See you all on March 2nd.”
Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal played in Las Vegas last year in an exhibition tournament labeled the ‘Netflix Slam’, which garnered several positive reviews.
This year’s event is set to include some of the very best players in men’s and women’s tennis.
- ATP #1 – Jannik Sinner
- ATP #2 – Alexander Zverev
- ATP #4 – Taylor Fritz
- ATP #9 – Tommy Paul
- WTA #1 – Aryna Sabalenka
- WTA #44 – Naomi Osaka
It is unclear whether Sinner will choose to appear at the event following his ban, although precedent has seen players compete in exhibitions while serving suspensions.
Former world number one Maria Sharapova played in a Las Vegas exhibition event back in 2016 while banned from the sport.
The International Tennis Federation explained how the Russian star was allowed to participate in a brief statement.
“Exhibition events are not covered events under the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme so [Maria] Sharapova is able to participate,” they said.
The five-time Major champion returned to professional tennis in 2017, winning her final WTA title against Aryna Sabalenka in Tianjin, China.
The ATP tournaments Jannik Sinner will miss after accepting three-month ban
Things could’ve been a lot worse for Sinner, as he potentially faced a ban of up to two years.
However, the world number one will still miss several tournaments as his biggest rivals look set to close the gap to him at the top of the rankings.
| Tournament | Date | Tier | 2024 Result |
| Qatar Open | February 17-24 | ATP 500 | – |
| Indian Wells | March 3-10 | Masters 1000 | Lost in SF |
| Miami Open | March 14-24 | Masters 1000 | Won |
| Monte-Carlo Masters | April 7-14 | Masters 1000 | Lost in SF |
| Madrid Open | April 21-28 | Masters 1000 | Withdrew before QF |
Sinner won the Miami Open last year, a tournament he’ll be forced to skip in 2025, as it falls within his three-month suspension.
The Italian stormed to the title in Florida, dropping just seven games in his final two matches against Daniil Medvedev and Grigor Dimitrov.
- F – Beat Grigor Dimitrov (6-3, 6-1)
- SF – Beat Daniil Medvedev (6-1, 6-2)
- QF – Beat Tomas Machac (6-4, 6-2)
- 4R – Beat Christopher O’Connell (6-4, 6-3)
- 3R – Beat Tallon Griekspoor (5-7, 7-5, 6-1)
- 2R – Beat Andrea Vavassori (6-3, 6-4)
Sinner will now be looking over his shoulder as the likes of Alcaraz and Zverev chase him down for the number one ranking.
| Rank | Name | Points | Points gap to number one |
| 1 | Jannik Sinner | 11,830 | – |
| 2 | Alexander Zverev | 8,135 | 3,695 |
| 3 | Carlos Alcaraz | 7,510 | 4,320 |
| 4 | Taylor Fritz | 5,100 | 6,730 |
| 5 | Casper Ruud | 4,480 | 7,350 |
Sinner will lose 1,600 ranking points as a result of his ban, potentially putting both Alcaraz and Zverev within reach of the top spot.
Alcaraz will return to action at the Qatar Open in Doha next week, while Zverev heads to Rio for the Brazilian ATP 500 event, as the pair search for some valuable points.
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