Sinner returns from doping ban to great fanfare

Rarely has an athlete been welcomed back from a doping ban with so much fanfare.

- AGENCIES

Top-ranked tennis player Jannik Sinner was treated to a stadium filled with nearly 5,000 fans for his first practice session at the Italian Open on Monday—the day his three-month banishment from the sport expired.

The training session—which was shown live on local TV—came after Sinner was the most celebrated player in a ceremony to honor the Italian teams that swept the Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup last year.

Both trophies were on hand and the Campo Centrale crowd belted out Italy's national anthem. It's the first time that Italy has had a No. 1 player for its home tournament. Still, Sinner was at a loss to explain why he attracts so much attention.

"I don't know. Honestly, I think I'm a simple 23-year-old kid. I'm good at playing tennis but I'm not changing the world," he said. "I always remember that I come from a small town of 2,000 people. Being here in Rome and playing in front of so many people is a big deal."