World No. 1 Jannik Sinner makes surprising confession ahead of Rome Open comeback

Jannik Sinner is ready to return to the ATP Tour after serving a three-month suspension imposed by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). The Italian star will make his comeback on May 4 at the Rome Open, but in a recent interview with Italian broadcaster TG1, Sinner shared how difficult the past months have been, particularly following his victory at the Australian Open earlier this year.

In the interview, Sinner admitted he struggled emotionally during his Australian Open run, where he claimed the title against Alexander Zverev. The 23-year-old revealed that the atmosphere among players and his overall experience left him questioning his future in tennis.

“I remember before the Australian Open this year, I was in a not-so-happy moment,” said Sinner. “I didn’t feel at ease in the locker room or at the restaurant, the players looked at me differently and I didn’t like it at all. There I thought that living tennis in that way was really hard: I’ve always been someone who took tennis jokingly, I thought about taking some time off after Australia”.

Sinner elaborated on his feelings, saying, “The way I felt on the court is not the way a player should feel. We work hard to have fun during a match, but that fun, day after day, had disappeared. I was thinking about something else”.

Jannik Sinner of Italy reacts in the Men’s Singles Final against Alexander Zverev of Germany during the 2025 Australian Open. (Graham Denholm/Getty Images)

The ATP Rotterdam tournament could have been Sinner’s last before his suspension officially began, but the Italian chose to skip the event, citing his discomfort with the situation he was facing.

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“Then it went the way it went, I didn’t want it to go that way but in the other sense at that moment it did me good. Three months is too much, but one reason why I didn’t play in Rotterdam was precisely that,” Sinner explained. “I needed some different time, with friends, giving priority to the people who love me”.

Sinner on returning stronger

While the initial months of his suspension were challenging, Sinner credited his family and team for helping him stay focused and motivated during his time away. He revealed how their support allowed him to continue preparing for the season’s remaining Grand Slams.

“The luck I had was that the people around me helped me a lot and believed in me, they supported me a lot during those moments. I’m talking about my team, my family,” Sinner said.

“I built my own bubble where no one else could enter; that gave me the will to continue and return, and prepare well for the Grand Slams, where last year I played very well,” he continued. “Everything went well, even though I didn’t feel like a happy person on the court”.

Responding to criticism

Sinner’s doping case has sparked significant debate within the tennis world, with critics questioning the fairness of his relatively short suspension compared to similar cases. However, the Italian maintained that what matters most is his understanding of the truth.

“Everyone is free to judge and say what they want, but for me, it’s important to know what happened and what I went through,” Sinner noted. “It was very tough, I wouldn’t wish for anyone to go through being seen as innocent for something like that. But we’re in a world where everyone can say what they want, so it’s alright”.