Jannik Sinner is preparing to start the 2025 season in the best possible way. It’s no secret that the Italian ace is the player everyone will want to defeat again next year, after literally dominating the ATP tour for the past twelve months.
The world No.1 has maintained an impressive pace in 2024, winning eight titles and suffering just six losses all season. The 23-year-old from Sesto Pusteria has shown crazy mental strength and not even the bad doping case that concerned him has slowed down his vehement rise.
Despite having to defend almost 12,000 points in 2025, Jannik is already certain to remain at the top of the ATP ranking even after the Australian Open. The Italian ace will not play official tournaments before the Happy Slam, but will participate in two exhibition matches at Melbourne Park in the week before the AO.
Daniil Medvedev & Jannik Sinner, Wimbledon 2024© Stream screenshot
The 2-time Grand Slam champion will face local idol Alexei Popyrin and Greek ace Stefanos Tsitsipas on Rod Laver Arena, before defending his title at the Australian Open from January 12. The world number 1 carried out his preparation in Dubai together with his entire team, before returning to Italy to spend Christmas with his family.
Sinner has been practicing in Monte Carlo for the last few days, before reaching Australia at the beginning of January and testing the conditions ‘Down Under’. The first months of 2025 will be important for Italian from several points of view.
In March there should be the trial before the CAS in Lausanne, which will decide Jannik’s future. The 23-year-old from Sesto Pusteria risks suffering a disqualification of 1 to 2 years after WADA’s appeal and there is no doubt that this situation continues to cause him huge stress. The 2-time Grand Slam champion is continuing to cooperate with the authorities and hopes that his image will not be damaged by this bad story.
Overend on Sinner’s case
In an interview with ‘Sky Sports’, top commentator Jonathan Overend expressed his point of view on Sinner’s doping case: “I think it really important to bring this up and to say that at times, it hasn’t felt totally comfortable watching Jannik Sinner achieve what he has done this year.
We have enjoyed the tennis, of course we have, but you look at all the achievements and you have to think to yourself… this is a guy who has failed two drug tests.
In another world, in another sport, he may have been serving a ban so he would not have been able to win those trophies.”
Jannik Sinner & Daniil Medvedev, Australian Open 2024© Stream screenshot
He continued: “It may be next year that he does have to serve a ban because WADA think he should be banned and it is in front of the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Their final judgment will have to be respected. If he does get banned, it’s not a good look for tennis. How they respond to that, I’m not sure.
Sinner will deal with it, serve his time if he has to, but it will taint his achievements for this year, there is no doubt about that.”
The trial will be held in March
The doping case concerning the world number 1 has caused a lot of discussion in recent months and opinions have been mixed. Some players and insiders defended Jannik, while others attacked him and the entire anti-doping system. It is no secret that Nick Kyrgios was the one who attacked the Italian ace the most brutally, assuming an almost obsessive attitude in recent months.
The talent from Canberra has never missed an opportunity to criticize Sinner, leading fans of the Italian player to request the ATP to take action against him. According to fans and insiders, the Australian ace exaggerated with his words and created a climate of hatred around Jannik. The 2-time Grand Slam champion preferred not to respond to his attacks, but some fear for his safety when the AO begin.
Jannik Sinner, 2024 ATP Finals© Stream screenshot
During his press conference in Brisbane, Kyrgios explained why he continues to talk so insistently about this case: “So for me when people are saying that I’m disrespectful to the sport, I think someone like that that has tried to cheat the process, and actually not done it completely on their own merit, is the disrespectful one in my opinion.”
Nick also added: “But, yeah, I mean, I have to be outspoken about it because I don’t think there’s enough people that are speaking about it. I think people are trying to sweep it under the rug and saying that about the amount and all this. I’m not going to shut up about it anyway.”
The Italian and the Australian could face each other in the first Major of the new season.
Tennis World USA