 "Alcaraz extends warm welcome to Sinner on return from doping ban: 'Hopefully, I will meet him in final'")
Carlos Alcaraz has extended a warm welcome to world No.1 Jannik Sinner, who returns to tennis on Friday after serving a three-month doping ban . While Sinner has been criticised and questioned by some of the tennis greats, three-time Grand Slam winner Alcaraz has taken a different route.
“I’m really happy to have him around again,” Alcaraz said. “Obviously for him was tough and I’m pretty sure was super long. … It is great for me, for tennis, for the fans, that he’s able to play a tournament again.
“Hopefully. I’m going to meet him at the final.”
Sinner’s first match will be against Argentina’s Mariano Navone in the Round of 64 at the Italian Open. Alcaraz opens against Serbian qualifier Dusan Lajovic on Friday.
Alcaraz says he’s 100% ready for Italian Open
The 22-year-old, Alcaraz, also said that he has recovered from the muscle injuries that forced him to withdraw from the Madrid Open and is “100% ready” for the Italian Open.
Alcaraz had an upper leg ailment that bothered him during the Barcelona Open final, plus a left leg injury.
“I’m in a good shape. I’m 100% ready to start the tournament,” Alcaraz said in Rome on Thursday.
During the Spaniard’s Rome debut last year, he lost to then-135th-ranked Hungarian qualifier Fabian Marozsan in the third round as he dealt with a bothersome right forearm issue.
But Alcaraz then went on to win back-to-back Grand Slam titles at the French Open and Wimbledon.
“Last year was even more difficult,” Alcaraz said, noting how this clay season he has already won the Monte Carlo Masters and reached the final in Barcelona, where he lost to Holger Rune.
“I wasn’t worried at all,” Alcaraz said. “Right now I have confidence. The practices (have gone) well. … I can’t wait for tomorrow. I think my level is in a good spot.”
With agency inputs
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