Jannik Sinner has attempted to play down the hype surrounding his return to tennis, but Andy Roddick and Jim Courier have dismissed his pre-tournament comments and backed the world No 1 to return to form with a bang.
Sinner is returning to action after a three-month suspension after he failed drug tests in March 2024 and the Italian has claimed he cannot be expected to return to top form after a long break from the game.
“I have to say I have low expectations for this tournament. I’ve been sitting out for so long and I don’t have any feedback on how I’m going to play,” said Sinner, in a press conference that started when he was bizarrely applauded into the room by euphoric members of the Italian media.
“The goal will be Paris. I’m not here to beat anyone but to try to get through the first round and then we’ll see what can happen. It’s difficult for me to start a new tournament and get back to the rhythm.
“But we’re very calm, we’re physically and mentally well, we’re rested, which will pay off at the end of the season too.”
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Sinner may be keen to suggest he is not the favourite to win the title in front of his adoring fans in Rome, but Roddick has told the Tennis Channel that he has to be viewed as the man to beat in every tournament he enters.
“He is doing a great job of being a rational thinker, but he is No 1 in the world,” said Roddick.
“I understand there are going to be lower expectations, but he is still the No 1 player in the world and he has been the dominant force in tennis for the last 18 months.
“There is only so low that the expectations can go around Jannik Sinner.
“There are more questions surrounding him and there are going to be moments in this tournament when it’s not the perfect version of Jannik Sinner.
“I don’t know if he’s going to win the tournament, but I like him to win two or three matches.”
Courier is also convinced Sinner will bounce back in style, as he suggested the early round in Rome may be his biggest concern.
“The guy hasn’t lost a match since October and the only loss he’s taken recently was from WADA,” said Courier, referring to his drug test case with the World Anti-Doping Agency.
“I have no reason to think that his level is not going to be where it needs to be, but he will be vulnerable in the first couple of matches.
“He is managing expectations. You should not expect pure honesty from players in press conferences. They are protecting themselves.
“If he comes out and says I expect to win this tournament, people are going to start taking shots at him saying he is too arrogant.
“He has the worst draw he could possibly get coming back because he is going to be tested from the third round on.”
Courier went on to suggest a potential match against Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo could test Sinner if they meet in the fourth round in Rome.
“The danger match is Cerundolo,” he added. “He is in form, he’s got confidence, he’s got a nasty game on all surfaces bar grass. That’s the game where you really need to be sharp.”
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