Sinner set for warm Italian Open welcome after doping ban expires

ROME (AP) — The conclave to elect a new pope isn't the only international event attracting visitors to Rome this week.

The return of top-ranked Jannik Sinner from a three-month doping ban at the Italian Open tennis tournament just up the road from the Vatican is stirring up so much attention that local headlines are declaring "Habemus Sinner" — a variant of the Latin words "Habemus Papam!" that are announced from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica when a pope is elected.

It will mark the first time that Italy has had a No. 1 player for its home tournament. Every move that Sinner makes is being documented with the same sort of detail reserved for cardinals moving around the Vatican before the conclave starts on Wednesday.

The ban, which was agreed on in a settlement with the World Anti-Doping Agency, expired on Monday morning and Sinner was scheduled to hold an open practice session later on Campo Centrale that is expected to attract a soldout crowd of 10,500 spectators. It will be broadcast live on Italian TV.

Before the practice session, Sinner is to be honored alongside his Davis Cup teammates and the Billie Jean King Cup players after Italy swept both of tennis' biggest team titles last year.

Sinner hasn't played a match since he won his second straight Australian Open title in January.

The settlement in the doping case was made in February, after WADA appealed a decision last year by the International Tennis Integrity Agency to fully exonerate Sinner for what it deemed to be an accidental contamination by a banned anabolic steroid in March, 2024.

The settlement raised questions, since it conveniently allows Sinner to return at his home tournament and not miss any Grand Slams.

The Italian Open is the last big clay-court tournament before the French Open — the year’s second Grand Slam — starts on May 25.

Many fellow pros feel that Sinner was treated too lightly. But there likely won't be much criticism of Sinner in Rome. Especially since his main detractor, Nick Kyrgios, is not competing.

Kyrgios hasn't played the Italian Open since he threw a chair onto the red clay in a fit of rage during a 2019 match and was defaulted from the tournament.

Sinner, who has a first-round bye, will be play his opening match Friday or Saturday against either No. 99 Mariano Navone or 18-year-old Italian wild card Federico Cina.

The last Italian man to win the title in Rome was Adriano Panatta in 1976.

Italian tennis is booming

It's not just Sinner that the locals are hoping to see.

Italian tennis is booming.

Lorenzo Musetti joined Sinner in the top 10 of the rankings at No. 9 on Monday after reaching the Monte Carlo Masters final and the semifinals of the Madrid Open.

Rome-born Matteo Berrettini has shown signs of rediscovering the form that took him to the Wimbledon final in 2021.

Matteo Arnaldi beat Novak Djokovic in Madrid and Cina has won matches at his first two Masters 1000 events.

With six-time champion Djokovic having withdrawn from Rome and record 10-time champion Rafael Nadal retiring last year, even more attention is being directed to Sinner.

Alexander Zverev is the defending champion in Rome and No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz is expected back after withdrawing from Madrid due to muscle injuries.

Tyra Grant switches from U.S. to Italy

On the women's side, Jasmine Paolini reached the final of both the French Open and Wimbledon last year, then led Italy to the Billie Jean King Cup trophy.

Also, 17-year-old Tyra Grant, a three-time junior Grand Slam doubles champion, announced that she was switching nationalities from the United States to Italy — the country where she grew up as the daughter of American basketball player Tyrone Grant and Italian mother Cinzia Giovinco, who taught her to play tennis.

Grant was given a wild card to play the Italian Open.

___

AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis