The wait is over as world No 1 Jannik Sinner returns to action in his first event following his three-month suspension after a doping ban.

Sinner will be making his first competitive appearance since he defeated Alexander Zverev in the Australian Open final on January 26.

The Italian is preparing to return to the sport after agreeing a three-month ban with the World Anti-Doping Agency over the positive tests he returned last March for a banned steroid.

Sinner was initially cleared of blame after it was accepted the substance entered his body via a product used by his then physio during a massage, but WADA appealed the decision.

In February, less than a month after winning his third Grand Slam title at the Australian Open, it was announced he had accepted the short suspension, which will run out on May 5.

The case has provoked strong reactions from inside and outside the sport, with many arguing Sinner has received preferential treatment, although he has always maintained he did not do anything wrong.

Sinner is on a 21-match winning streak dating back to a final loss against Carlos Alcaraz in Beijing at the beginning of October and still has a lead of close to 2,000 points at the top of the rankings.

When is the Italian Open 2025?

The women’s draws at the Italian Open gets underway on Tuesday, May 6, while the men’s draws are set to start from Wednesday, May 7.

The event will run until finals weekend on Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 May.

Day sessions will begin at 10am, with evening sessions starting at 6pm

Which British tennis players will be competing at the Italian Open 2025?

Emma Raducanu, Katie Boulter, and Sonay Kartal will headline the British entrants into the main draw of the women’s singles after coming off the back of wins at the Mutua Madrid Open.

Raducanu has been particularly impressive after showing signs of her best tennis in a run to the quarter-finals at the Miami Open in March and then backing it up in Madrid with a win against Suzan Lamens before taking Marta Kostyuk to three sets.

In the men’s draw, Indian Wells champion Jack Draper will enter as the sixth seed as the Briton continues to build on his successful 2025 season so far.

Draper has shown his ability on the clay with a run to the final of the Madrid Open and he will be hoping for a deep run in Rome.

Jacob Fearnley also has direct entry into the main draw, coming off the back of a brilliant run in Madrid – coming through qualifying to reach the third round and claiming his best career win by ranking over Tomas Mahac.

Jodie Burrage, Cameron Norrie and Billy Harris will all feature in singles qualifying action.

What’s the schedule?

Qualifying: Monday, May 5 and Tuesday, May 6 at 10am
Main Draw: Wednesday, May 7 – Sunday, May 18
Women’s singles final: Saturday, May 17, not before 5pm
Men’s singles final: Sunday, May 18, not before 5pm

Who’s in and who’s out?

Carlos Alcaraz is expected to return, but there are still doubts over the Spaniard’s fitness as he recently missed the Madrid Open due to a leg injury.

Novak Djokovic is out as he has opted to skip the tournament in order to focus on the French Open. That means we won’t see coach Andy Murray in his corner.

On the WTA side, reigning Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova is the biggest casualty as she remains sidelined with a back injury.

The top 32 players in the current WTA Rankings have all entered while Grand Slam winners Raducanu and Naomi Osaka’s positions in the rankings were good enough for direct entries.

Where is the Italian Open taking place?

The tournament will once again be held at one of the country’s biggest sports complexes – the Foro Italico.

Located in the heart of Rome, the stadium is home to two iconic courts and has the capacity to hold over 10,500 spectators.

Who are the reigning Italian Open champions?

• Women’s singles: Iga Swiatek (POL)
• Men’s singles: Alexander Zverev (GER)

Watch the ATP and WTA Tours, as well as the US Open in New York, live on Sky Sports in 2025 or stream with NOW and the Sky Sports app, giving Sky Sports customers access to over 50 per cent more live sport this year at no extra cost. Find out more here.