Jannik Sinner explains what he was doing early in the first set to find out where his level was at the Italian Open

Jannik Sinner made a confident return to the court at the Italian Open, playing his first match in three months following a suspension due to two positive drug tests in 2024.

Despite the absence, the Italian star retained his World No. 1 ranking and looked sharp as he defeated Argentina’s Mariano Navone 6-3, 6-4 in front of an enthusiastic home crowd in Rome.

Sinner, 23, admitted after the match that he was using the early stages of the contest to gauge where his level stood following the long layoff.

“At the beginning, I felt like I wasn’t hitting the ball the way I wanted to,” Sinner told Sky Sports. “But at 2-1 in the first set, I started trying a couple of backhands down the line to see what was working better. I’m happy with what I discovered there.”

The top seed at the ATP Masters 1000 tournament was composed throughout the match, striking 21 winners and winning 63% of his first-serve points. He was especially solid on his second serve, winning 71% of those points.

For Sinner, just stepping back onto the court was a special moment.

“It was incredible to be back out there after such a long wait,” he said. “We tried to prepare in the best possible way, and I focused a lot on my mental state. I’m very happy with how I handled things.”

Most notably, Sinner said this was the first time in a year that he played with a sense of freedom.

“I’m extremely happy. This is the first time in a year that I played freely, without any negative thoughts in my mind. It felt great,” he shared. “Honestly, the result wasn’t the most important thing today. I was just happy to be back. The crowd gave me so much energy and positivity.”

Sinner now moves on to the next round of the Italian Open with momentum and a renewed mindset, aiming to build on a strong return to competition.