Jannik Sinner counting down to April 13 – why that date is crucial in his comeback
The Monte Carlo Masters final will take place on April 13, but that will also be a significant date for absent world No 1 Jannik Sinner.
Sinner is not on the entry list for a third ATP Masters 1000 tournament of the season, as he serves a three-month suspension for a doping violation.
While he is not due to return to action until next month’s Rome Masters tournament, he is counting down the days to the next big date in his time away from the sport as he is allowed to get back to official training on Sunday.
Sinner is reported to have spent his last few weeks working on his physical conditioning, with the Australian Open champion not allowed to practice as part of the terms of the doping suspension his legal team thrashed with the World Anti-Doping Agency in February.
“Under the terms of the agreement, Mr. Sinner will serve his period of ineligibility from 9 February 2025 to 11:59 pm on 4 May 2025 (which includes a credit for four days previously served by the athlete while he was under a provisional suspension),” read a statement released as the ban was confirmed.
“As per the Code Article 10.14.2, Mr. Sinner may return to official training activity from 13 April 2025.”
Sinner is believed to have looked into training at the Monte Carlo Country Club which is staging this week’s ATP Masters 1000 tournament, but he was denied the chance to use the facility.
He is no doubt eagerly looking forward to his return to training, after speaking about his suspension at length for the first time last week.
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Jannik Sinner believes he chose ‘the lesser evil’ in first interview since doping ban
“In the end, you have to choose the lesser evil and I believe that is what I have done,” Sinner told Sky Italy.
“Even if sometimes it seems a bit unfair, all that I’m living, but then if I look at things from a different perspective it could have been worse. Even more unfairness. This is the way it is.
“The decision to take the three-month suspension was rather quick. We accepted it quite quickly, even though I didn’t agree completely. There was a bit of back and forth with my lawyer and the people around me,” the Italian said. “After we took this decision, it took me a while to find myself again.
“But I am still here. There is still a bit of time to digest all this, but I can’t wait to be back in Rome. It’s a special tournament for me, even though it will also very tough. I’ll be back in a moment in which there will be already a lot of attention on me, and in Rome it’s not easy.
“I was very fragile after what happened. I would tell a lie if I said I was a person without feelings or emotions. In life you learn, every year I learn more about myself, also about my value. It was not easy, very hard at times, but the people around me gave me the strength to understand what had happened.”
Sinner went on to admit he found his time away from tennis tough to deal with as he added: “At the beginning, I counted the days, but now every day that goes by, as the time gets closer, I feel better physically and mentally.
“Even if there is still time, it is a good opportunity for me to improve in those areas in which I had difficulties, on a surface on which I struggle. So, let’s try to do something different. Hopefully it works otherwise we will have more time to try again.”
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