The ATP Tour is making one of its final stop before the second major of the year this week at the Italian Open Masters 1000 in Rome. All of the top players in tennis are getting their final tune-ups in before the French Open, but Jannik Sinner is stealing the headlines as the tournament moves into the second round.

Sinner, the top-ranked player in the world, is making his return from a three-month suspension for two anti-doping violations. The Italian tested positive twice for clostebol in March 2024, but an independent tribunal ruled that he was not at fault for the violation. WADA later appealed the ruling, eventually agreeing with the sentiment that Sinner was not at fault for the violations but that he should be held responsible for the negligence of his now-former team members.

World No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz, one of the other top stars in tennis and Sinner's chief rival during their young careers so far, got his campaign off on the right foot in Rome on Friday with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Serbian qualifier Dusan Lajovic. After the match, he commented about Sinner's return, citing how happy he is to have the Italian back on the circuit.

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“It is great honestly,” Alcaraz told Tennis Channel's Prakash Amritraj. “For me, it's great to have him back. Honestly, I need him on the tour because he pushes me to be a better player, to give my 100% everyday, just to be better. I think tennis needs him as well, to bring new fans. His tennis is huge. He's insane, I love watching him play.”

Sinner won his third major of his career in January, defending his title at the Australian Open before accepting the ban in February. He will get back on the court on Saturday in the second round against Argentinian Mariano Navone at the Foro Italico.

Alcaraz and Sinner have forged one of the best rivalries in tennis at the moment, with a handful of classic matches sprinkled in. The two have now played since the final in Beijing last season, when Alcaraz won arguably the best match of the season in a final set tiebreak. The two also played a five-set classic at the French Open in 2024, also won by Alcaraz. Overall, the Spaniard leads the head-to-head 6-4.

The two young stars are on opposite sides of the draw in Rome, so they cannot meet until the final. It will be difficult for Sinner to make it that far in his first tournament back, but the pro tour is better off with its two young champions in the mix again.