Watch Jannik Sinner leave the practice court after receiving 3-month ban

The Qatar Open shared a video of Jannik Sinner exiting the practice court on Saturday.
The Qatar Open social media team shared a video of Jannik Sinner leaving the practice court on Saturday.
The Qatar Open social media team shared a video of Jannik Sinner leaving the practice court on Saturday. / IMAGO / MediaPunch

Jannik Sinner has not played a tennis match since winning the 2025 Australian Open in January. Fans were eagerly awaiting to see the World No. 1 compete in Doha at the Qatar Open (called the Qatar ExxonMobil Open for sponsorship purposes).

However, Sinner will not compete in the Doha ATP 500 tournament as he agreed to a three-month ban for his doping case stemming from two failed drug tests in March 2024.

However, the surprising settlement was reached months before the CAS trial was set to begin. As a sign of the many moving parts, Sinner traveled to Doha and began preparing for the tournament.

Even more fascinating, the Qatar Open's official social media team shared a dramatic video of Sinner leaving the practice court for the final time in Doha.

The seven-second video showed Sinner grabbing his racquet bag and exiting the practice court. The message in the video reads, "Jannik Sinner. Forced to withdraw from Qatar ExxonMobil Open due to a suspension."

Meanwhile, the caption on the post said, "Italian Tennis Star, Jannik Sinner accepts a 3 month suspension from tennis tournaments #qatartennisfederation #qatarexxonmobil #atp #janniksinner."

It is impossible to know if this was the exact moment that Sinner received the news, as very little context is provided in the dramatic video. However, it is safe to assume Sinner knew a settlement was very possible, if not imminent, when he traveled to Doha.

Sinner was originally the one-seed for the tournament, but Carlos Alcaraz will now get the top spot in the draw. Additionally, Jack Draper will now be a seeded player.

Sinner is currently the World No. 1 with a singles record of 7-0 in 2025. Following his three-month suspension, the Italian superstar is expected to play the ATP Masters 1000 in Rome and then the French Open in Paris.

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More Tennis News

Iga Swiatek smashes her racquet after losing in Doha.

Andy Murray will remain on Novak Djokovic's coaching staff through 2025 Wimbledon.

Daniil Medvedev discusses retirement after a disappointing loss at the Rotterdam Open.

Ons Jabeur defeated Qinwen Zheng in straight sets at the Qatar Open.

Coco Gauff upset in the first round of Qatar Open by Marta Kostyuk.


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Pat Benson
PAT BENSON

Pat Benson covers the sneaker industry for Sports Illustrated's FanNation. Previously, he has reported on the NBA, authored "Kobe Bryant's Sneaker History (1996-2020)," and interviewed some of the biggest names in the sports world. You can email him at 1989patbenson@gmail.com.