There is no doubt that Jannik Sinner's three-month suspension represents a chance for many players to win prestigious titles. The world number 1 who preferred to find an agreement with WADA to avoid the trial before the CAS in Lausanne has been almost unstoppable in the last twelve months and has conceded crumbs to all his rivals, especially on the hard courts.
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Only Carlos Alcaraz has been able to undermine the Italian ace from January 2024 until today, although he does not have the same consistency as his top rival during the year.
The 21-year-old from Murcia is capable of reaching impressive peaks that leave everyone speechless, but he is the victim of numerous ups and downs during the season that cause him some surprising defeats.
A chance for many players
Jannik's ban will last until May 4, which is why he will have to miss four Masters 1000 in total.
The 'BNP Paribas Open' in Indian Wells is currently underway, but the 23-year-old from Sesto Pusteria will also be absent in Miami, Monte Carlo and Madrid, before making his return to Rome in front of his home fans.
Through his official Instagram profile, top coach Patrick Mouratoglou invited top players to take advantage of this period without Sinner: The fact that Jannik Sinner is not playing for a few months gives a lot of opportunities to players not only to win big tournaments but also to gain confidence by winning a lot of matches.
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Is it also a pressure at the same time? Yes of course.
He also added: I always take the example of Marion Bartoli, who wonWimbledonwhen Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova, and a lot of other top players lost early.
Many could have won, one did.
While the rivalry between Sinner and Alcaraz is sure to be the main focus of the men's tour over the next decade, the rise of other players is needed to keep fans interested.
Young stars such as Ben Shelton, Jack Draper and Joao Fonseca have improved a lot in recent months, not forgetting the recovery of Holger Rune who is playing excellent tennis in California this week.
