
 All you need to know about Italian’s schedule after end of 3-month doping ban
World No. 1 Jannik Sinner was on cloud nine after mounting a successful title defense at the Australian Open 2025.
However, his happiness was cut short as he was handed a three-month suspension stemming from his positive doping tests from last year soon after that.
Sinner’s ban kicked off on February 9 and he has been patiently waiting on the sidelines until he’s eligible to return to the tour.
His suspension will conclude on May 4, just in time for him to receive a rousing reception at his home tournament, the Italian Open.
The season’s third Masters 1000 tournament on clay will run from May 7-18 in Rome, Italy.
Sinner missed the tournament last year due to an injury. His previous best result has been a quarterfinal showing in 2022 and he has a 9-5 record at the venue.
He will be keen to resume his winning ways immediately upon his return.
Sinner will also return to the tour with his World No. 1 ranking intact.
 Alexander Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz failed to capitalize on his absence, though the Spaniard recently moved up to No. 2 due to his triumph at the Monte-Carlo Masters.
Sinner has also made the practical decision of entering the Hamburg European Open, which will be held after the Italian Open and just a week before the French Open.
He’s well aware that he could be a little rusty after being away from the tour for so long and his return may not pan out the way he intends to.
However, Sinner is likely to make the trip to Hamburg only if he bows out early from the Italian Open.
He wouldn’t tire himself out so close to the French Open if he makes it deep in Rome.
He will then head to Paris for the season’s second Major.
Jannik Sinner likely to be the top seed at the French Open 2025
Jannik Sinner is likely to be the top seed at the upcoming French Open. Carlos Alcaraz has a shot at taking that spot from him.
However, for that to happen, the Spaniard will first need to win the Barcelona Open and the Madrid Open. Even after that, the Italian will approximately have a 700-point lead.
The fight for the French Open top seed will culminate at the Italian Open. Alcaraz will need to win the tournament, while a semifinal showing should be enough for Sinner to get the job done.
Regardless of who ends up being the top seed, the two won’t meet before the final this time at the French Open.
Alcaraz staged an impressive comeback to beat Sinner in five sets in the French Open semifinals last year, and won the title later on.
The latter is gunning to claim his maiden crown in Paris following a career-best result last year.
Rohit is a journalist at Sportskeeda who specializes in covering tennis.
Having been with the company for three years, he has proven himself as a formidable force in the field.
With a Master’s degree in law, Rohit brings his analytical and research skills to the forefront as a journalist.
He stays on top of the game by using social media platforms and never misses a match for on-court insights. He values giving credit where it’s due, keeping his reporting fair and accurate.
At the outset of his career, Rohit found his niche in writing previews and SEO pieces and it’s this expertise that continues to define his role at Sportskeeda.
He is particularly proud of one article that garnered an impressive 750k views and surpassed his “wildest dreams.” Rohit is not particularly fond of (GOAT) debates and it is one of the reasons why he left the legal world behind. He prefers to view players in “tiers,” where they’re all esteemed to an extent. However, if pressed to name favorites, he would choose Serena and Venus Williams.
The Williams sisters’ journey from humble beginnings to the pinnacle of tennis has been his greatest source of inspiration.
When he isn’t busy making spot-on predictions about match outcomes, Rohit likes reading, particularly fantasy, sci-fi, and comics.
As an X-Men fanatic, he’s also passionate about board games and enjoys watching movies in his spare time. And don’t be surprised if you catch him silently wishing to the tennis gods for the removal of ad scoring from doubles.