Jannik Sinner must be delighted with what has happened in tennis since his ban and continued at the Miami Open

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Jannik Sinner would have feared the worst when he was informed he would not be able to play for three months.

The World number one was found to have tested positive for banned substance clostebol on two occasions in 2024.

Therefore, Sinner was handed a three-month suspension after agreeing to a settlement with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). He has not played since February and will not be able to play until after May 4.

But since Sinner won the Australian Open in January, his position at the top of the ATP rankings has not been under any threat.

Why would Jannik Sinner be delighted with the ATP’s results since his doping ban?

Sinner’s closest challengers are in poor form

Jannik Sinner has a healthy lead at the ATP Tour rankings, but it was expected that the gap would close following his suspension.

While that could still be the case, Sinner’s lead remains intact as those closest to challenging him have produced some poor results of late.

Since finishing runner-up to Sinner at the Australian Open, World number two Alexander Zverev has failed to reach the last four of any other tournament since.

Carlos Alcaraz won February’s Rotterdam Open, but he has not won a title since and suffered a semi-final loss at Indian Wells and a shocking opening round defeat to David Goffin at the Miami Open.

America’s number one Taylor Fritz has reached just one quarter-final this year, and 24-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic has been below his best for most of 2025, and he just ended a three-match losing streak in Miami.

Sinner currently has a 3,385-point lead at the top of the ATP rankings and due to the current form of his closest rivals, not much has been done top close the gap so far.

Jannik Sinner will return to the ATP Tour both fresh and determined

Sinner is set to return to the tour in front of his home fans at the Italian Open, which commences May 7.

Another advantage in the 23-year-old’s favour is that he will be feeling fresh while his compatriots will have played a long and gruelling clay court season, after the North American hard court swing.

Furthermore, Sinner will be boosted by his fellow Italians at the Foro Italico, who will undoubtedly make their voices heard when he takes to the court.

Sinner has yet to win a Masters 1000 title on clay, but it will come as no surprise if he breaks his duck on home soil immediately after returning from his doping ban.

Jannik Sinner may be favourite to win his first French Open title

After playing in Rome and Hamburg, Sinner will compete at the French Open.

In 2024, he produced his best run of his career by making it to the semi-finals, and Sinner also became the new World number one during the tournament.

Should he perform well in Rome and Hamburg, Sinner will arrive in the French capital as the player to beat. This will also be the case if his rivals produce more inconsistent results throughout the clay court swing.

Alcaraz is the defending champion in Paris and he defeated Sinner each time they played in 2024. At his best, he will be Sinner’s biggest threat.

But without Sinner lifting a racket since January, and Alcaraz currently not playing his best tennis, Sinner may be in a great position to beat the Spaniard for the first time since 2023, and win his first French Open title.