Countdown begins: Jannik Sinner cleared to return to court training ahead of Rome Open

Jannik Sinner starts to see the light at the end of the tunnel as he awaits the end of his doping suspensión and his return at the Rome Open. The World No. 1 is beginning to glimpse his return, as starting this Monday, he will be allowed to return to the training courts without any restrictions.

The 3-time Grand Slam champion reached an agreement with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) for a three-month suspension, avoiding a trial that could have led to more severe consequences. The sanction began on February 15 and ends on May 4, meaning his return to competition is scheduled for May 5 — just in time for the start of the Italian Open Masters.

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Sinner hasn’t had much to worry about during his time away from the top, despite missing three Masters 1000 tournaments. Neither Alexander Zverev nor Carlos Alcaraz managed to significantly close the gap to the Italian, even with several extra events played.

Starting Monday, the 23-year-old Italian will be allowed to return to official training facilities — something that had been prohibited under the suspension. However, it was agreed that after two months, he could resume training on court, and the ban on training with other Tour players has also now been lifted.

The Italian used his time away from tennis to take some time off with very few public appearances. He was spotted a couple of times at a ski resort and fulfilled some of his commercial commitments, such as attending Gucci events in Milan.

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