Volandri on Sinner's Return: "For an Athlete, the Adrenaline of Competition is Irreplaceable"

Suspended since February, world number one Jannik Sinner has been cleared to return to competition at the Rome Masters 1000 in early May.

Allowed to train normally since last Sunday, the Italian, who won the Australian Open in his only tournament played this year, is eagerly awaited by his nation in the transalpine capital in the coming weeks.

Filippo Volandri, captain of the Italian Davis Cup team, spoke to *La Gazzetta dello Sport* about Sinner's return to competition.

"His physical preparation will be fine-tuned so he’s ready for Roland Garros. It’s an exhausting tournament, with matches played in best-of-five sets. I’m certain the preparation he’s had over these three months will benefit him in the long run.

Sinner hasn’t been able to complete a full preseason in recent years. This forced break will allow him to build up energy to be in optimal condition for the next two or three seasons.

Last week, I had dinner with Simone Vagnozzi, Jannik’s coach, and he told me he could see Sinner was extremely motivated for his comeback, fully focused on the tournaments ahead.

We mustn’t forget that, for an athlete, the adrenaline of competition is irreplaceable. That’s why I don’t expect him to deliver great results right away—it wouldn’t be human.

But without a doubt, the more matches he plays, the closer he’ll get to the form he wants in Paris. Clay is a surface that could help him find solutions to beat Carlos Alcaraz, even though the Spaniard’s win in Monte-Carlo reminds us he still has ups and downs, and his opponents can take advantage of that," he said.