The return of the prodigal son? More like the second coming.
Jannik Sinner was greeted like a conquering hero as he re-emerged into the tennis world after his three-month doping ban.
His press conference was the event of the day here at the Italian Open, with standing room only with excess journalists pouring out of the door. Perhaps the 23-year-old was nervous to face the media for the first time. He needn’t have been. As the most famous red-head in Italy walked into the room he was greeted by a round of applause.
Not everyone clapped but there was a fair few – doubtless Italian cousins of the lickspittles with whom Donald Trump has replaced actual reporters in his White House press briefings.
If this was partly a symbol of the slow creep of cheerleading into sports journalism, it was also demonstrative of how Italy feels about their darling Jannik. He is seen as a victim; deserving of sympathy rather than censure.
Italian Tennis president Angelo Binaghi said when the ban was announced, bringing closure to this saga: ‘This is the first time that a shameful injustice makes us happy because our first thought is for the boy who sees the end of a nightmare.’
Jannik Sinner was welcomed back to Rome with open arms as he returns from his doping ban
The world No 1 has been out of action since early February, but that is now behind him
In March of last year, the tennis superstar twice tested positive for clostebol, with it accepted that it entered his system during a massage
Last month, Italian Open tournament director Paolo Lorenzi said: ‘The important thing is that he starts playing again. The fact it will be in Rome makes it even nicer. We’re waiting for him with open arms.’
After the triumphal press conference the feting continued. Sinner was front and centre of a celebration of Italy’s victorious Davis and Billie Jean King Cup-winning sides. Later came his first public practice session in front of several thousand adoring fans on Stadio Centrale.
To briefly recap: in March of last year Sinner twice tested positive for clostebol. The International Tennis Integrity Agency accepted his explanation that the anabolic steroid entered his system via a massage and issued no ban. The World Anti-Doping Agency argued he should bear some responsibility and appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, before agreeing a three-month ban with Sinner in February.
The timing of that ban could not have been sweeter – for Sinner or the Italian Open. He has missed no Grand Slams and returns at his home event, where posters depict him with what look like angel’s wings. Here at least, he is a Sinner in name only.
Outside Italy there has been much criticism of the apparent ease with which Sinner’s legal team agreed such a convenient ban. Comparisons have been made to sentences handed down to others, such as Australian Max Purcell’s 18-month ban for an IV drip which contained no performance enhancing substances.
Novak Djokovic said at the time: ‘A majority of the players I’ve talked to in the locker room are not happy with the way this whole process has been handled. A majority don’t feel it’s fair. A majority feel like there is favouritism happening.’ Serena Williams recently said she would have been banned for 20 years for the same offence.
Speaking on Monday about the reaction of the locker room, Sinner said: ‘At the beginning of the suspension I had some messages from players, from others I expected (something) and nothing arrived. Anyway now I’m trying to find myself on the court. I don’t think about those who didn’t call me.
‘I spoke a bit with Jack Draper, we are great friends, also with Lorenzo Sonego. But everything will be fine. With time everything passes.’
He missed no Grand Slams and returns for his home event – here, he is a Sinner in name only
Novak Djokovic said ‘the majority of players’ he had spoken to were ‘not happy’ about process
Jack Draper is one of the players who offered Sinner his support while he was away
Sinner reportedly began a romance with model Lara Leito, but he has rubbished rumours
And so Sinner returns to the eternal city to find the tennis world much the same as he had left it. He is still the darling of Italian tennis and still world No 1. One thing we thought had changed was his relationship status, after he was pictured in Monte Carlo with Russian model Lara Leito.
Unprompted, he scotched those rumours in the first answer of his press conference. ‘I’m very happy, happy to be back here,’ he said. ‘It has been three long, long months.
‘There’s a whole lot of attention, also off the court. I was very surprised to see some pictures, which are nothing serious. I’m not in a relationship. So whoever is asking, it’s all good.’
Sinner referenced the fact that under the terms of the ban, until three weeks ago he was unable to enter any sporting arena – tennis or otherwise.
‘To be honest, for me the toughest part was that, in the beginning, I couldn’t watch any other sport in real life,’ he said. ‘Watching a football match in a stadium, I couldn’t go. I wanted to support my friends in cycling or motor sport, I couldn’t go.
‘I tried to make the best of it, being ready mentally from the point when I started again to play tennis. And I was very glad to spend some time with my family.’
Speaking about the deal with WADA, and his reasons for accepting it rather than trying to gain full absolution in court, Sinner said: ‘When you go to court it can go both ways; nothing or a lot. So their agreement, I didn’t want to do it in the beginning. It was not easy for me to accept it because I know what really happened but sometimes we have to choose the best in a very bad moment, and that’s what we did. It’s all over now so I’m happy to play tennis again.’
Sinner took his baby steps on Monday. There were more shanks than normal, more unforced errors in his practice points against Czech Jiri Lehecka. ‘My biggest goal is the French Open,’ said Sinner. ‘Here I don’t know if I’ll be ready. Let’s see what happens in the first match.’
