Wimbledon winner Jannik Sinner admits he’s surprised by his impressive level of tennis so quickly after a return from a three-month doping ban.
Sinner defeated Carlos Alcaraz 4-6 6-4 6-4 6-4 in the Wimbledon final on Sunday to land his first trophy in SW19 and fourth overall Grand Slam title.
The world No.1 only returned from his suspension at the Italian Open in May – but has looked in fine form since his comeback on the ATP Tour.
Sinner reached the final in Rome and then was a runner-up at the French Open – and despite a shock loss in Halle – he’s now won Wimbledon.
After landing the trophy at the All England Club, Sinner was asked if he was surprised by the level he’s been able to reach so swiftly since returning from the ban.
Sinner quizzed about his level since doping ban
Quizzed if someone had said to him if in February or March that he’d be a French Open runner-up and Wimbledon champion straight after his return from suspension, Sinner said: ‘I would have not believed them, no, because it’s so difficult already to arrive to the later stages of Grand Slams.
‘Even if you’re in great shape and you have the best preparation ever, it’s so difficult.
‘Standing here as a finalist in Roland-Garros, and when that moment was over, I felt like I did something great because it has been not easy.
‘Coming here and winning Wimbledon, it has been amazing, no? Yeah, but in the same time I tried to believe in myself and to accept whatever happens.
‘There is only one way, no, to get better as a player. This hopefully, if you do that, the chances that you win matches, it’s higher because you put your effort in, daily effort.
‘This is exactly what we did. From now on we’re going to do it even more because there are players who are going to come. You have to be prepared.’
Why was Sinner banned from tennis?
Sinner failed two drug tests in 2024, which eventually saw him suspended at all tennis competitions from February 9, 2025 to May 4, 2025 following a settlement with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
The 23-year-old Italian twice tested positive for clostebol – a steroid that can be used to build muscle mass.
WADA accepted Sinner’s explanation that he was accidentally contaminated by a massage from his physiotherapist, who used a spray containing the banned substance to treat a finger cut.
They ruled that Sinner ‘did not intend to cheat’ but insisted that he was responsible for his team’s negligence, which ultimately saw him punished.