Jannik Sinner’s practice partners delivers verdict after ‘real workout’
Jannik Sinner has not lost any of his power following his three-month suspension with two ATP players warning that “he still hits the ball hard”.
World No 1 Sinner has not featured in a professional match on the ATP Tour since the Australian Open final on January 26 when he defeated Alexander Zverev in straight sets to successfully defend his crown at Melbourne Park.
Just a couple of weeks after that match, the World Anti-Doping Agency [WADA] revealed that the Italian had accepted a three-month ban after he returned positive samples for the banned substance clostebol during separate tests in March 2024.
Although it was found that the 23-year-old bore “no fault or negligence” as the substance entered his system via contamination, WADA appealed the initial ruling as they felt Sinner still had to serve a suspension.
That ban kicked in on February 9 and came to an end on May 4 with his first tournament back his home event, the Italian Open in Rome.
One of the WADA regulations stipulated Sinner was unable to train until April 13 but as soon as that date came and went he started practicing with high-profile players and several of his compatriots put their hand up.
Former world No 21 Lorenzo Sonego was one of the Italian players who had spent some on court with the three-time Grand Slam winner ahead of his comeback.
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After getting a good workout from Sinner during the match, Sonego has a warning for those who thought he had lost his touch.
“He is coming back as an even stronger champion. He has a crazy desire to compete,” he told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
“He can’t wait to get back to what he loves, to feel the adrenaline of a match. He is a very competitive guy. Staying away from tournaments has not been easy also because it wasn’t right that he was out. I have seen him ready, eager to give everything as he has always done.
“Does he still hit the ball hard? Oh yes! It has been a while since I played at such a high level and for so long – it was a real workout for me. It is the privilege of being able to train with the world No 1.”
He added: “We laughed a lot! He knows he can always count on me. These days have been important for me too, to give me extra motivation. I needed to work a week at this level.”
Norwegian youngster Nicolai Budkov Kjaer – the reigning Wimbledon junior champion – also practiced with Sinner and he doesn’t see the Italian in a different light after the ban.
The 18-year-old stated: “He is still the same Sinner, don’t worry! He has a big desire to work, an attitude that is an example and a lot of young people starting out in tennis are inspired by him. The stop doesn’t appear to have hurt him – he still hits very hard!”
