World number one Jannik Sinner has revealed that he has low expectations at the Italian Open after serving his doping ban.
Sinner is set to return to the court on Friday in the second round of the Italian Open.
He failed two dope tests in March last year but appealed immediately and was allowed to compete until August.
The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) exonerated Sinner in August, and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) accepted that he did not gain any competitive advantage from the banned substance and that he was not at fault for an accidental contamination.
Sinner was handed a three-month ban in a settlement with the World Anti-Doping Agency.
He was cleared to return to training on April 13, with his suspension ending on May 4.
The 23-year-old has modest expectations as he prepares for his first tournament since the Australian Open in January.
He said, “It’s a very, very low-expectation tournament in general for me; it’s also results-wise.
“What’s missing is the complete feedback on where my level is. That’s going to come slowly with time playing; after the first round match, I’m going to have a good picture of myself, where I am at.
“For me personally good news that the Grand Slams were not included … This kind of agreement – I didn’t want to do it 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.
“It’s all over now, so I’m happy to play tennis again.”
Sinner is expected to retain his world number one position after his closest challenger failed to impress at the Monte-Carlo Masters.
The Italian Open is the last big clay-court event before the French Open, which starts on May 25.
