Sinner: I'm very happy to be back and I'm excited to see how I'm at my level

On Monday, then-world No. 1 Sinner attended a pre-tournament press conference for this year's Rome Masters, and he will welcome his return to his first match on home soil after receiving a three-month ban in February. "I'm just a normal 23-year-old, I'm good at tennis, but I can't change the world." Sinner said with a smile in Italian that he looked relaxed as he was about to return to the tour.

Sinner attends the pre-match press conference

"I realised that even when I'm not playing tennis, there are a lot of people who follow me. Sometimes, the interpretation of a photo may not match reality, but I learned something from it. I feel like I've had a good time with this long time, even though it wasn't easy. Sinner clarified that he did not start a new relationship after breaking up with Kalinskaya.

This year will be Sinner's first return to the Rome Masters as a Grand Slam champion, having missed last year due to injury. On his return to the game, Sinner commented: "The best thing is getting back on the pitch and seeing all the fans, so many people. "I'm not scared, I'm very happy to be here," he explained. We've put in a lot of hard work over the past few months and we're ready to start again. ”

"Tennis is a very personal sport, each player has their own team and there are a lot of things to take care of. I barely talked to any of the players during the lockdown, apart from my good friend Drapa, Sonego and a few others. "At the beginning of the ban, I was pleasantly surprised by the messages from some of the players, and by the fact that some of the other players I expected to send were not sent at all. But it's all normal, after all everyone wants to win, and I think with time everything will be fine. ”

Sinner won the Miami Masters during last year's test positive for banned drugs

The ITIA (International Tennis Integrity Association) initially found that Sinner was not at fault or negligent in drug tests conducted before and after last year's Indian Wells Masters, both in-tournament and out-of-tournament, and that Sinner and his team's explanation that "illegal drugs entered Sinner's body while he was being massaged by a physiotherapist" was accepted. Last April, ITIA imposed two brief temporary suspensions on Sinner, and held hearings and issued an official statement in August.

WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) appealed this decision to the CAS (Court of Arbitration for Sport) last September, initially seeking a one- to two-year ban on Sinner. In February, Sinner accepted a three-month ban in what was seen as a "guilty plea agreement". "This kind of agreement I didn't want to accept at first, it wasn't easy for me to accept it because I knew what was going on, but sometimes in very bad situations we have to make the best choice," Sinner explained at a press conference. ”

During the ban, Sinner not only missed four ATP1000 Masters, he was further banned from any professional sporting events. "I don't know how many people know this, for example, if you want to go to the football stadium to watch a normal game, I can't go. I want to support my friends in cycling or racing, and I can't go, and that's the hardest part for me. But all things considered, I tried to make the most of this time and mentally prepare myself to start playing tennis again, and I'm happy to spend that time with my family. ”

"At first, I was a little confused, I was stuck in a very tight schedule, and all of a sudden I didn't. Sinner spoke of how for years it had been someone else who had to adapt to his rhythm, and now it was his turn to adjust. "My family was very important during this time, and I stayed with them and figured out what was really important to me. I know all the sacrifices I've made, and it's the people outside the ring who give me the strength to keep smiling all the time. ”

Sinner trains at the Rome Masters this week

Sinner said that playing at the Rome Masters in the first place after his comeback was not about beating anyone, and that the main goal was the French Open. "I haven't touched a racket for almost a month, and as soon as I push a little harder, my hands get blisters. It's been a long time since this happened, but I'm not in a hurry and I'm happy with the way we handled everything. ”

Sinner, who is the top seed at the Rome Masters, will have a first-round bye. It also means that his dedication debut will take place this Saturday, with his first opponent between Navone and Zener. "These three months are sort of a pause. I'm very happy to be back and I'm excited to see how I'm at the current level. ”

(Text, editor: Dato, photo: Visual China)