LONDON: Jannik Sinner will return to the ATP Tour from his doping ban at next month’s Rome Masters as world number one after the Italian’s closest challenger Alexander Zverev crashed to an early defeat in Monte Carlo on Tuesday.
Sinner, 23, accepted a three-month ban in February following an agreement with the World Anti-Doping Agency, which earlier challenged an independent tribunal’s decision to clear him of any wrongdoing after he failed two drug tests.
Sinner’s absence from the circuit had opened the door for Zverev to replace him at the top of the rankings but the German failed to get beyond the quarter-final stage at any of the six tournaments he played since the Australian Open in January.
The world number two lost 2-6 6-3 7-5 to Sinner’s compatriot Matteo Berrettini in the Monte Carlo second round.
