JANNIK SINNER CLOSES IN ON RETURN: A MAN FOR ALL SURFACES?
- Sean A'Hearn
- 2 hours ago
- 4 min read
As we enter the clay court swing on the ATP circuit, Jannik Sinner’s return from a three-month doping suspension is imminent.
The Italian’s absence has certainly opened the door for the rest of the tour to cash in on, highlighted by Jack Draper and Jakub Menšík’s title runs at Indian Wells and Miami respectively.
Sinner will miss two more Masters 1000 tournaments in Monte Carlo and Madrid before he returns to action on home soil at the Italian Open in Rome, beginning on May 7.
The world No.1 has also added the Hamburg Open before the second Grand Slam of the year at Roland Garros.
Shop with a 15% storewide discount code: SERVE15 - excludes clearance items, machines, court equipment and gift cards at www.tennisdirect.com.au
So what can we expect when Sinner does return? Can he break through at Roland Garros and Wimbledon this year?
The obvious answer is yes, for two reasons.
Firstly, three months out of the game is a short enough time-frame to feasibility to work his way back into good form, particularly with two lead-in tournaments to iron out any cobwebs ahead of the French Open.
Secondly, not only was Sinner in almost unstoppable form prior to his suspension, but he’s proven more than capable on clay and grass, making the semi-finals at both Roland Garros (last year) and Wimbledon (in 2023).
He also won a grass court title in Halle last year, showing he is a man for all surfaces.
Form-wise, the 23-year-old only dropped two sets on his way to the Australian Open title back in January, having held a staggering 73-6 record across the 2024 season.
Former world No.6, and winner of 14 ATP titles, Gilles Simon, also believes Sinner will be quickly back to his best, citing the short suspension.
"He’s going to play great," Simon told Tennis365.
"It’s a three-month suspension where he’s practicing, so basically it’s a three-month preparation. He’s going to play a bit to find the rhythm again, but I’m pretty sure he’s going to find it quickly.
"In one moment, he’s going to win, he’s going to be back on track, and he’s going to play well – because it’s not an injury, it’s a suspension.
"He’s healthy, he had time to also maybe heal the parts of the body that maybe needed some work on it. Any work he had to do, he had time to do it.
"And three months is not six months, or nine months, or one year when you come back to competition. I’m really not worried about his level," Simon concluded.
Italy’s first Grand Slam champion, Adriano Panatta, emphatically agrees with Simon.
"I am convinced that Jannik 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 according to La Gazzetta dello Sport.
"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."
Asked whether he could win either the Italian Open or Roland Garros, Panatta was definitive.
"Sooner or later he’ll win them, if not this year it will be next year," he said.
Indeed, Sinner’s absence from the tour has also been marked by his rivals’ inability to capitalise on his suspension.
The three-time major winner is on track to keep his world No. 1 ranking intact, maintaining a comfortable lead over his rivals.
Despite forfeiting 1,000 points after being unable to defend his Miami Open title, Sinner still holds 10,330 points — keeping him 2,685 points ahead of world No. 2 Alexander Zverev and 3,610 points clear of world No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz.
While he will drop points from his 2024 Monte Carlo semi-final and Madrid Open quarter-final runs, Sinner’s withdrawal from the 2024 Italian Open means he has no points to defend in his comeback event.
Before Roland Garros, where he has semi-final points to protect, the Italian has the opportunity to gain 500 points at the Hamburg Open.
With his No.1 ranking remaining strong, it’s unlikely he will face unfavourable draws.
Therefore, not only should Sinner have a smooth transition back to the tour, but his form and results indicate that it’s only a matter of time before he adds clay and grass majors to complete the set.
Whether that happens this year remains to be seen, but everything is in place for the Italian superstar to go one better at Roland Garros and Wimbledon.
Arguably, the only thing holding Sinner back is whether the suspension will affect him mentally, and how much airtime it gets in the media.
And, of course, a certain Spaniard will be doing his utmost to deny the world No.1 and retain the two Grand Slams he claimed in 2024.
Tennis Coaches Australia, coaches supporting coaches, your voice, your network, stronger together" For all enquiries and membership go to tenniscoachesaustralia.au
