Rome: Rarely has an athlete been welcomed back from a doping ban with so much fanfare.
Top-ranked tennis player Jannik Sinner was treated to a stadium filled with nearly 5,000 fans for his first practice session at the Italian Open on Monday — the day his three-month banishment from the sport expired.
The training session — which was shown live on local TV — came after Sinner was the most celebrated player in a ceremony to honour the Italian teams that swept the Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup last year.
Both trophies were on hand and the Campo Centrale crowd belted out Italy’s national anthem.
It’s the first time that Italy has had a No. 1 player for its home tournament. Still, Sinner was at a loss to explain why he attracts so much attention.
“I don’t know. Honestly, I think I’m a simple 23-year-old kid. I’m good at playing tennis but I’m not changing the world,” he said. “I always remember that I come from a small town of 2,000 people. Being here in Rome and playing in front of so many people is a big deal.”
With a conclave to elect a new pope set to begin just down the road at the Vatican on Wednesday, Sinner’s return prompted local headlines that declared “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.
The scene at the Foro Italico came in sharp contrast to how Sinner felt back in February when he received a three-month ban in a settlement with the World Anti-Doping Agency. “At the start I was a bit confused because I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do,” Sinner said. “Then I went home and stayed with my family. I tried to understand better what was really important to me.
“I know how many sacrifices I made and my daily routine was always practice, practice, practice. But at that moment I didn’t have any of that. I came to understand that what’s important to me are the people by your side. That they give you the strength to move forward and
continue smiling.”