Jannik Sinner Dealt Tough Draw In Italian Open Comeback, Alcaraz In Zverev’s Half

World No. 1 Jannik Sinner was dealt a difficult draw for his comeback tournament at the Italian Open.

The Italian’s three-month doping ban ended on Sunday and he will return to action on home turf at the Foro Italico this week.

Sinner, who won the Australian Open in January for his third major title before accepting the doping ban, received a first-round bye and then will meet either world No 99 Mariano Navone or Italian 17-year-old Federico Cina in his first match back.

In the third round the 23-year-old Italian could meet No. 25 seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and in the fourth round he could face No. 15 seed Frances Tiafoe.

His quarterfinal matchup could be No. 6 seed and newly-minted Madrid Open champion Casper Ruud, while his semifinal opponent could be No. 4 Taylor Fritz.

“I worry about him zero over the long term, but if it’s just the small sample size of Rome…a small sample size can tell many stories,” Andy Roddick, a former world No. 1, said of Sinner Sunday on Tennis Channel. “I’m not worried with how he hits the ball. I’m not worried about his movement. I thought he actually looked great on the clay last year. We kind of forget he was a set away from beating Carlos Alcaraz in the semis of Roland Garros last year. So, I think he’ll be fine longterm.

“Will he have jitters in Rome in front of the home crowd? Remember, he didn’t get to play in Rome last year either. So, since he’s become the Jannik Sinner, the legend, Grand Slam-winning No. 1 Jannik Sinner, he hasn’t played Rome, so there’s obviously going to be jitters.”

No. 2 seed Alexander Zverev and No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz are in the bottom half of the draw and would meet in the semifinals, with the winner to potentially face Sinner in the final.

Zverev is the defending champion and is seeking his third Italian Open title and. After starting with a bye, he begins against a qualifier or Camilo Ugo Carabelli.

The German is projected to face 27th seed Denis Shapovalov in the third round, and could face No. 13 Arthur Fils or No. 18 Stefanos Tsitsipas in the fourth round.

Zverev was drawn in the same quarter No. 8 seeded Italian Lorenzo Musetti, who is projected to face No. 10 and 2023 champion Daniil Medvedev in the fourth round.