Sinner's first rival at Rome Open shares eye-opening take on World No. 1: 'Now, he's a normal player'

Jannik Sinner’s three-month suspension for a positive doping test has officially ended, and the Italian star is set to make his comeback this weekend at the Rome Open. His opening-round opponent will be Mariano Navone, who weighed in on facing the World No. 1.

“Not my problem,” Navone told Tennis.com when asked about Sinner’s ban, making clear he holds no resentment toward Jannik over the issue. “Now he’s a normal player. He stopped, he completed his suspension, and it’s really safe. He took some time. Three months is time. It’s tough to be out for three months, but he completed his suspension and that’s it.”

Still, the Argentine admitted that the opportunity to compete against one of the sport’s elite adds weight to the match. “It would be the biggest victory of my career,” said Mariano. “It’s not often you have the chance to play against the No. 1 player in the world. So, it’s special for me.”

Navone reached his career-high ranking of No. 29 last year, though he has yet to capture an ATP Tour title. He currently sits at World No. 99 and is coming off a quarterfinal loss at the Challenger event in Aix-en-Provence to Borna Coric. That makes Saturday’s showdown with Sinner a key moment for him. “It’s challenge and I have to take it like that for me and my game,” he said.

Argentine player Mariano Navone

Navone believes it won’t be easy for Sinner

Mariano Navone advanced to the main draw of the Rome Masters 1000 by defeating Italian wild card Federico Cina in the opening round of 128. “It was tough because Federico was such a good player and also many are in the crowd who want to see him and want him to win,” the Argentine told reporter David Kane of Tennis.com.

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The World No. 99 also emphasized how important this tournament is to him: “I’ve played at Grand Slams but this is one of the biggest stages outside that, making it a very special tournament.”

Looking ahead to Saturday’s second-round match against Jannik Sinner, Navone speculated that the suspension could be a factor for the Italian. “He stopped three months ago and this is his first match, so it’s not easy for him either,” said Mariano.

What’s next for Sinner

The Rome Open marks Jannik Sinner’s first appearance since winning the Australian Open in January—his last outing on the ATP Tour before the three-month suspension. The round of 64 matchup against Mariano Navone will serve as a key test and chance for Sinner to find his form again. Should he advance, he’ll face the winner between Jesper De Jong and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.