ROME (AP) 鈥 The conclave to elect a new pope isn鈥檛 the only international event attracting visitors to Rome this week.
The return of from at the Italian Open tennis tournament just up the road from the Vatican is stirring up so much attention that local headlines are declaring 鈥淗abemus Sinner鈥 鈥 a variant of the Latin words that are announced from the balcony of St. Peter鈥檚 Basilica when a pope is elected.
It will mark the first time that Italy has had a No. 1 player for its home tournament. Every move that Sinner makes is being documented with the same sort of detail reserved for cardinals moving around the Vatican before the conclave starts on Wednesday.
The ban, which was agreed on in a settlement with the World Anti-Doping Agency, expired on Monday morning and Sinner was scheduled to hold an open practice session later on Campo Centrale that is expected to attract a soldout crowd of 10,500 spectators. It will be broadcast live on Italian TV.
Before the practice session, Sinner is to be honored alongside his Davis Cup teammates and the Billie Jean King Cup players after Italy swept both of tennis鈥 biggest team titles last year.
Sinner hasn鈥檛 played a match since he won his second straight Australian Open title in January.
The settlement in the doping case was made in February, after WADA appealed a decision last year by the to fully exonerate Sinner for what it by a banned anabolic steroid in March, 2024.
The settlement raised questions, since it conveniently allows Sinner to return at his home tournament and not miss any Grand Slams.
The Italian Open is the last big clay-court tournament before the French Open 鈥 the year鈥檚 second Grand Slam 鈥 starts on May 25.
Many fellow pros feel that Sinner was . But there likely won鈥檛 be much criticism of Sinner in Rome. Especially since his main detractor, Nick Kyrgios, is not competing.
Kyrgios hasn鈥檛 played the Italian Open since he onto the red clay in a fit of rage during a 2019 match and was defaulted from the tournament.
Sinner, who has a first-round bye, will be play his opening match Friday or Saturday against either No. 99 Mariano Navone or 18-year-old Italian wild card Federico Cin脿.
The last Italian man to win the title in Rome was Adriano Panatta in 1976.
Italian tennis is booming
It鈥檚 not just Sinner that the locals are hoping to see.
Italian tennis is booming.
Lorenzo Musetti joined Sinner in the top 10 of the rankings at No. 9 on Monday after reaching the Monte Carlo Masters final and the semifinals of the Madrid Open.
Rome-born Matteo Berrettini has shown signs of rediscovering the form that took him to the Wimbledon final in 2021.
Matteo Arnaldi beat Novak Djokovic in Madrid and Cin脿 has won matches at his first two Masters 1000 events.
With six-time champion and record 10-time champion Rafael Nadal retiring last year, even more attention is being directed to Sinner.
Alexander Zverev is the defending champion in Rome and is expected back after withdrawing from Madrid due to muscle injuries.
Tyra Grant switches from US to Italy
On the women鈥檚 side, Jasmine Paolini reached the final of both the French Open and Wimbledon last year, then led Italy to the Billie Jean King Cup trophy.
Also, 17-year-old Tyra Grant, a three-time junior Grand Slam doubles champion, from the United States to Italy 鈥 the country where she grew up as the daughter of American basketball player Tyrone Grant and Italian mother Cinzia Giovinco, who taught her to play tennis.
Grant was given a wild card to play the Italian Open.
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