Holger Rune makes his feelings known on training with Jannik Sinner during Italian's 3-month doping ban

Holger Rune, the World No. 10, was seen practising with Jannik Sinner at the Monte-Carlo on May 2 and May 3. Ahead of the Internazionali BNL d'Italia, an ATP Masters event, Rune expressed his excitement at the return of the World No. 1 on the tour.

Jannik Sinner was handed a three-month suspension for his two positive Clostebol tests in March 2024. He was given a clean chit via the International Tennis Integrity Association (ITIA), but the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) challenged the decision in the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS). Before the case went to the hearing, Sinner received a three-month ban as a settlement for his positive test with WADA.

Sinner has not achieved much success on the clay surface. He has only managed to win one title till now on the red dirt, which came in 2022 at Umag. The Italian had defeated Carlos Alcaraz in the final in a three-setter to claim the ATP 250 title.

The World No. 1 is participating in the Rome Masters after two years. He had withdrawn from the tournament last year due to a hip injury which occurred during the Madrid Open. His best appearance at the tournament came in 2022 when he reached the quarterfinal round but fell against the fifth seed, Stefanos Tsitsipas, in straight sets.

In a pre-tournament interview in Rome, the Danish superstar told LaStampa about the Italian’s rhythm and the anticipation regarding his return to the tennis world after the ban.

"It's always the same old Sinner. He hits the ball in an incredible way, as we've come to expect. I really enjoyed training with him. Coming back after three months isn't the easiest thing, obviously, it'll take him a bit of time, but I believe he can still do very well,” Rune said.

“Jannik is capable of any feat. The fans' anticipation is huge, and we too can't wait to play against the world number 1 again. Every time we've faced each other, they've been great battles," he further added.

The two have had several exciting battles on the court. Sinner leads the head-to-head record with 3-2. The Dane claimed the first two matches, but the Italian bounced back impressively to win the next three. The latest encounter was in the Round of 16 at the 2025 Australian Open, where Sinner won the match in four sets.

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Jannik Sinner on accepting a three-month ban

Jannik Sinner at a press conference - Source: Getty

Jannik Sinner attended a pre-tournament press conference on Monday (May 5), where he received a huge applause with a standing ovation in the media room. In the press conference, he shared his reason for accepting a three-month ban in the form of a settlement despite knowing his innocence.

“This kind of agreement, I didn’t want to do in the beginning. It was not easy for me to accept it because I know what really happened, but sometimes we have to choose the best in a very bad moment,” he stated.

The 23-year-old even acknowledged the fact that, with a lack of match practice, the body is not in a position where he would ideally want it to be.

“The body still has to adjust. The blisters on the hands, they’ll come again when you’re not used to it anymore. But all good. I’m just very happy and very curious to see where I’m at,” he said.

Sinner is all set to make his return on the tennis court, that too in front of his home crowd. He is the top seed at the Rome Masters, receiving a bye in the first round. He will face the winner of the match between Mariano Navone and Federico Cina in the second round.