Rome Open organisers to 'protect' Jannik Sinner, will provide world number one with 'Fort Apache' at ATP 1000 event

Italy’s Jannik Sinner is set to be provided with ‘Fort Apache’ at the Rome Open once he returns to action next month. The 23-year-old, who is already regarded as one of the best players currently playing in men’s tennis in the singles category, is currently going through a three-month ban after agreeing to a deal with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) after failing two dope tests for clostebol in March last year.

Ever since that agreement was announced, Sinner has been under a lot of criticism from different quarters of the tennis community. Recently, the three-time Grand Slam winner announced that he was close to taking a break after the Australian Open earlier this year.

“Did I ever think about giving up? Yes, I did,” he said. “Before the Australian Open this year, I was in a not so happy moment. Arriving there in Australia I didn't feel comfortable in the locker room, where I went to eat. The players looked at me differently. I didn't like it. There, I thought that living tennis that way was really heavy.”

Sinner’s three-month suspension is about to end just before the start of the Rome Open next month. As per the recent report published in the English media outlet Daily Express, the reigning world number one is set to be provided a ‘Fort Apache’. The report stated that he will be provided with a separate area for his coach and family to ‘feel at home’. The report also mentioned news from an Italian media outlet, Gazzetta dello Sport, which stated that more than 400,000 tickets have been purchased for the event.

The President of the Italian Tennis Federation, Angelo Binaghi, was quoted in the report as well, where he stated that the decision was taken to ‘protect’ the current world number one in men’s tennis. “We will create a Fort Apache for him because we believe he should be protected and should relax and prepare for his matches using as little energy as possible,” he said.