Jannik Sinner is set to return to competitive tennis at the Italian Open on May 10, marking his first match since the Australian Open final. He will face Argentina’s Mariano Navone after Navone’s first-round victory over Federico Cina. If Sinner progresses to the final, he may encounter Carlos Alcaraz, who has a 6-4 lead in their head-to-head matchups and recently won their last three encounters in 2024. Alcaraz expressed his excitement about Sinner’s return, emphasizing its importance for tennis and fans.
Sinner dealt with a doping suspension last year after testing positive for clostebol and, although initially facing a stricter ban, he ultimately received a three-month suspension from WADA. Despite his absence from four Masters 1000 tournaments, he retained his No. 1 ranking, while Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev failed to capitalize on the opportunity to dethrone him.
In a separate development, Naomi Osaka has also made her comeback, reaching the third round of the Italian Open after winning a Challenger tournament. Osaka shared her reaction to Alcaraz’s Netflix documentary and is set to play Marie Bouzkova next, leading their head-to-head record 2-0.
