At long last, May 10, 2025, is upon us, and World No. 1 Jannik Sinner makes his return to the ATP Tour at the Italian Open.
Sinner’s three-month suspension is over, and with any luck, so will be the talk about it. Everyone has weighed in already. We know Nick Kyrgios thought it should be longer. However, Rafael Nadal and Martina Navratilova feel that it was unjust.
He can finally let his racquet do the talking for him, returning to tennis at his home tournament. The 2025 Australian Open champion missed the Middle East and Sunshine Double legs of the tour, and he has missed part of the European clay season.
Despite his absence, no one has stepped up to take the World No. 1 ranking from him. The ATP has crowned a variety of champions, with Carlos Alcaraz being the only mainstay. Otherwise, Holger Rune, Jack Draper, and Jakub Mensik scored big Masters 1000 wins this spring.
Carlos Alcaraz Is Happy Sinner Is Back
Alcaraz spoke about missing Sinner on the ATP Tour, saying that Sinner makes him work harder to be a better player.
“I need him on the tour because he pushes me to be a better player, to give my 100% everyday. I think tennis needs him” 🥹🫂
Carlos Alcaraz had some kind words about Jannik Sinner ahead of the Italian’s return at the #IBI25 pic.twitter.com/R5Lumt2JO0
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) May 9, 2025
Sinner was injured last year and did not play the Italian Open. Alexander Zverev is the defending champion. Obviously, Sinner would love to make a big statement by winning his first tournament back.
That is easier said than done, even as World No. 1. Players who are out for substantial amounts of time with injury, health issues, or even childbirth have shown us that it takes time to reacclimate to tour-level matches.
Sinner has practiced with Matteo Berrettini and Jack Draper, among others, but practice sets are not the same as an actual match.
It will be interesting to see how Sinner plays against his first opponent, Argentinian Mariano Navone, currently ranked 99th but had a career high ranking of 29 in June 2024. The two have never played each other before, and yet, the stakes couldn’t be higher for both when they take the court on Saturday at approximately 1 PM EDT.
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