Jannik Sinner’s doping ban has expired

Rome: 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.