Andy Roddick is tipping Jannik Sinner to win the Australian Open but also warns that this might be "the last time" that we will be seeing the world No. 1 on the Grand Slam stage this year.
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After the ITIA ruled that the Italian was at no fault for a failed doping test, the CAS appealed that verdict so there is still a chance that he will get suspended.
And on Friday, it was revealed that the CAS hearing into the 23-year-old's case will take place in Lausanne between April 16-17.
In their statement from September, the CAS said that they would target a one to two-year doping suspension for Sinner.
If the world No. 1 indeed receives a ban - even for six months - that means that he won't be able to play any Grand Slams until the 2026 Australian Open.
Roddick: There is every chance that this is the last time we see him for six months or a year
"He's the person that I think will win ... there is the cloud of the WADA case over him, so there's every chance that this is the last time we see him for six months or a year," the 2003 US Open winner told Betway.
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"A lot depends on how his case shakes out, but I do think he is the best hardcourt player in the world. He has wrestled that mantle away from Novak Djokovic after a decade-plus run with that moniker.
"I think Sinner's the one to beat in Australia, and I certainly wouldn't bet against him."
So far, the Italian tennis star has managed to impressively block out all the chatter surrounding his doping case and remain the best player in the game.
In September, he won the US Open although some doubted that it would be possible considering the situation he was in.
Now, Sinner will try to do the same at the Australian Open and win his Grand Slam title No. 3.
