(VIDEO) Jannik Sinner trains with Jack Draper ahead of much-awaited return to tennis next month

Italy’s Jannik Sinner has practiced for the first time with Britain’s Jack Draper. The 23-year-old, who is 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 for testing twice in doping tests last year for banned substance clostebol.

He managed to escape any ban as The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) declared him innocent following a detailed hearing where his counsel claimed that the substance was available in the player’s sample because he came in close contact with his physio Naldi who used to spray for the treatment of a cut on his finger.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) appealed against the ITIA’s verdict in the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and demanded a two-year ban for the three-time Grand Slam winner. However, the issue finally came to a conclusion as WADA announced that they had reached an agreement with Sinner, which will result in the player remaining out of action for three months. His ban will end just a few days before the start of the Rome Masters in May later this year.

Now, in a latest video shared on the social media platform X — previously known as Twitter — Sinner can be seen training with his friend Britain’s Draper. The training will kickstart the three-time Grand Slam winner’s bid to return to tennis next month. This year, Sinner has only played one event, which was the Australian Open in January. In that competition, he successfully defended his title after beating then-world number two Germany’s Alexander Zverev in the final in straight sets, with a score of 6-3, 7-6, 6-3. During his ban, Sinner will miss some key events, including the Indian Wells, Miami Open, Monte Carlo Masters, and Madrid Masters. However, because of poor performances from his closest rivals — Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz and Zverev — Sinner will return to the court as the number one player in May.