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Jannik Sinner said it was an “amazing feeling” to be back on court after beating Argentina’s Mariano Navone at the Italian Open in the first match since his doping ban.
The 6-3 6-4 victory was the world number one’s 22nd in a row - a streak interrupted by the three-month suspension he agreed with the World Anti Doping Agency (Wada).
Sinner wrote ‘Che bello’ (How beautiful) on the camera lens at the end of the match, as chants of ‘Ole’ rang around the stadium.
“It has been amazing to go again on court after such a long time, having a great support also in the last days,” said Sinner, who thought it was the best reception he had ever enjoyed.
His parents were among 10,500 people who offered him a full throated welcome onto the Campo Centrale, but Sinner showed little emotion as he walked on hand in hand with a child mascot.
“From the first day I came here, it has been amazing. I was waiting for this moment quite a long time," he added.
“The whole match, even when it seems quite comfortable, it's a rollercoaster, no?
“Inside we feel that, especially the beginning of the match having, again, the nerves of serving for the first time, trying to move in the best possible way you can.”
Huge crowds tried to catch a glimpse of Sinner when he practised on Court Five earlier in the day. A TV camera was rolling throughout, while children balanced on parents’ shoulders and others mounted a fire hydrant and a potted plant to get the best possible view.
“Jannik’s day“ was the headline on Saturday’s edition of Corriere dello Sport. “The wait is over. From 7pm Rome will embrace … the strongest Italian tennis player of all time,” the paper continued.
Sinner signed a lot of autographs this week as he practised with top-10 players like Taylor Fritz and Casper Ruud.
He has been greeted with great warmth and excitement - as the overwhelming majority of Italian tennis fans seem to feel a three-month suspension was harsh and are treating his return as a celebration.
There was even a short burst of applause from members of the Italian media when Sinner took his seat in the interview room on Monday afternoon.
The match was Sinner’s first since he successfully defended his Australian Open title in Melbourne in January.
Three weeks later he accepted Wada‘s offer of a three-month ban for two doping violations last year.
Sinner tested positive for clostebol and was originally cleared of any fault by an independent tribunal.
Even though Wada did not dispute the steroid had entered his system because his physio had been using a spray containing clostebol to treat a cut on his own finger, it initially felt a ban of between one and two years would be appropriate.
Wada later came to the conclusion a suspension of that length would be “unduly harsh” and so entered into negotiations with Sinner’s legal team.
Rome reserved its best weather of the week for the 23-year-old’s return.
As Lazio played Juventus in the Olympic Stadium just a few hundred metres away, Sinner missed his very first serve, but quickly found his stride. He won the first set with a single break of serve and some clean, powerful ball striking.
But the second set was less straightforward as Sinner’s forehand proved increasingly unreliable. He recorded 16 unforced errors off that swing in the match, but by two breaks of serve to one, was still able to complete a straight-set win in one hour and 38 minutes.
His decision making was not as sharp as usual but Sinner had every reason to be delighted with his return.
“I was missing the feedback of official matches, which are the best feedbacks we players can get,” Sinner said.
“At least now I have a bigger picture of what I'm doing well and what I have to improve.
“The nerves and everything, it has to go again into my body. It was a great start from my point of view of this tournament and of the comeback.”
Sinner’s third-round match on Monday will be against the world number 93, Jesper de Jong - a lucky loser from qualifying.
The Italian Open is the last Masters 1000 event before the French Open, but Sinner has also entered the Hamburg Open in the week before Roland Garros in case he feels he needs more practice on the clay.
