Filippo Volandri confident in Sinner’s comeback: “His preparation is focused on Roland Garros”

Italian Davis Cup captain Filippo Volandri is looking forward to Jannik Sinner’s return and assured that the World No. 1’s months of preparation will prove valuable moving forward, with Roland Garros set as the main target.

The three-time Grand Slam champion has already served two of his three-month suspension and has now been cleared to return to official training centres. He is reportedly training at the Monte-Carlo Country Club near his residence, preparing for his comeback tournament: the Rome Open in three weeks.

Sinner reached an agreement with the World Anti-Doping Agency for a three-month suspension after testing positive for clostebol during the 2024 Indian Wells tournament. The substance was accidentally transferred during treatment by one of his physiotherapists, who had earlier applied a spray containing clostebol to his own injured fingers before attending to Sinner without gloves.

Volandri, who is closely connected with Sinner through his role in Italy’s Davis Cup team, experienced a somewhat similar case himself. In January 2009, Volandri received a three-month ban after testing positive for salbutamol at Indian Wells. Despite having a medical exemption to use the asthma medication, the ITF concluded that his usage exceeded therapeutic limits.

The former World No. 25 has worked with Sinner for several years and remains realistic about the comeback: “Nobody expects him to win everything immediately,” Volandri told La Gazzetta. “Sinner is part of a top-level team, and I’m sure they’ve pointed out the key technical aspects he needs to focus on for his return,” he added.

“You need the wide serve and plenty of spin – that pushes your opponent off the court. Serving well on clay isn’t everything, because the surface absorbs some of the power,” said Volandri, who hopes the time off helps Sinner return in peak physical condition for the French Open.

“His physical training is focused on Roland Garros. It’s a gruelling event with long best-of-five-set matches,” Volandri added. “I’m convinced the preparation he’s had over the past three months will be beneficial in the long run. Jannik hasn’t been able to complete a proper winter pre-season in recent years. This break allows him to recharge for the next two or three seasons.”

“I had dinner last week with Vagnozzi (Sinner’s coach), and he told me that Jannik is extremely motivated, fully focused on the upcoming tournaments and mentally calm. Let’s not forget that nothing replaces match adrenaline. That’s why I don’t expect a winning streak right away – that would be unrealistic. But the more matches he plays, the closer he’ll get to his ideal form for Paris.”