Jannik Sinner‘s suspension from professional tennis means he and his team need to determine the best way for him to train and work during that time.
Sinner is banned until May 4th after settling his doping case with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). He had faced uncertainty since testing positive for clostebol at the 2024 Indian Wells Open in March.
Although the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) initially cleared Sinner, WADA appealed the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport and, at that stage, seemed to want a ban of between one and two years implemented.
After months of stress and anxiety for Sinner, his team and WADA unexpectedly settled the case. A key WADA member said that the ATP star was a million miles away from doping, which makes the governing body’s actions throughout the case somewhat confusing.
Although there has been a polarized reaction to the case settlement, including Nick Kyrgios, Sinner’s most vocal critic, calling it a dark day for tennis, the result is not going to change, and Sinner is now looking to the future.
A report from Tennis Italiano gave details about how Sinner plans to train while the ban is in place. The publication said the three-time Grand Slam champion was spotted in Dubai, where he will likely relax for two weeks before working again.
Sinner’s ban means he cannot train anywhere connected to the ATP, WTA, ITF, or the Grand Slams, but he is allowed to work with his team, including joint coaches Darren Cahill and Simone Vagnozzi, in a private setting.
Tennis Italiano quoted former Italian player Vincenzo Santopadre, who coached Matteo Berrettini from 2011 until 2023. He expects most of Jannik’s training to be physical but with a few technical elements thrown in.
“The bulk of the work will be physical. But I think that with Simone Vagnozzi Jannik will also take advantage of it to work on technical details, for example an even more aggressive response. Training cannot replace the adrenaline of the match, but I am sure that he will do everything to show up in Rome even better.”
The Italian media outlet predicted that Sinner would train in different locations while suspended. Three were mentioned: Dubai, the United States, and Monte Carlo, to prepare for playing on clay.
It remains to be seen whether all the details in the report are accurate. However, it does seem like a credible outline of what Sinner might do based on the limitations he is working under while suspended.
Sinner’s first tournament back after being suspended will be the 2025 Italian Open. The two-time Australian Open winner might be relieved to start his comeback on home soil, where he will receive much support.
Debates in the tennis world about how Sinner’s case was handled continue. However, it must not be forgotten that the ITIA and WADA accept he was accidentally contaminated by his physiotherapist and never intended to take a banned substance.
