Jannik Sinner will return to action after serving his three-month ban and said he is curious to see where his level is. Sinner will face either Mariano Navone or wild card Federico Cina in his opening match at the Italian Open.
Sinner would look to hit the ground running but he isn’t expecting a lot from himself and wants to gradually increase his level.
“It’s a very, very low expectation tournament in general, talking results wise,” said Sinner. “For me, what’s missing is the complete feedback of where my level is. That’s going to come slowly with time. After the first round match, I’m going to have a better picture of myself, where I am at.
“It’s very strange feeling again in the beginning to be around so many people and attention. But it’s nice to be back, me and my team are very happy.”
The Italian said he wasn’t following a lot of tennis action in February and his main focus is to qualify for Turin.
“To be honest, I was barely looking at any match, especially in the beginning,” Sinner said of his absence. “Of course I saw the results because it’s normal, but the tennis itself, I was not watching as much. I started again from Madrid, trying to study and then trying to understand some of the players which are very interesting to see.
“For me, what’s most important is the Race To Turin, which gives you a better picture of how players [are] in that moment. Now I’m happy in the position I am, but I would be happy even if I’m No. 3 or No. 4 in the world, to be honest, I’m just happy to be back here. I’m happy to play again in front of the fans.”
The World No.1 said he enjoyed his time with family and friends and also worked hard on his fitness in the gym.
“[They have been] very long months, but I was glad to share some great moments with my family, with my friends,” said Sinner. “We were practising very hard, especially in the gym in the beginning, coming back to court again.
“It was good, but I could feel that I’m not playing for quite a long time. The body still has to adjust, the blisters in hands… They didn’t come again because you’re not used to it anymore, but all good, I’m just very happy, very curious to see where I am at.”
