Andy Roddick has recently offered his take on two of the ATP Tour’s most talked-about players—Alexander Zverev and Jannik Sinner—touching on Zverev’s form slump and the excitement brewing ahead of Sinner’s return to action.
Sinner, the current world No. 1, is nearing the end of a doping suspension handed down after two positive tests for the banned substance clostebol in March 2024. His enforced break from the game began on February 9 and will wrap up on May 4, paving the way for a dramatic comeback on home turf at the Italian Open, set to begin on May 7 in Rome.
Despite being sidelined for months, Sinner’s 2025 season opened with fireworks. In his lone tournament of the year so far, he successfully defended his Australian Open crown, taking down Zverev in straight sets in the final. That victory added a third Grand Slam title to his name and widened the gap at the top of the ATP Rankings.
Meanwhile, Zverev’s form has taken a hit since that loss in Melbourne. The German world No. 2 has found it tough to maintain consistency, losing five of his last eleven matches across several tournaments—Buenos Aires, Rio, Acapulco, Indian Wells, and Miami. His most recent outing in Miami ended in the fourth round with a three-set defeat to Arthur Fils, a missed opportunity to claw back points in the race for the No. 1 spot. At present, he trails Sinner by 2,685 points in the live rankings.
Roddick, no stranger to the relentless pressure of top-tier tennis, showed empathy for Zverev’s current situation as the 27-year-old continues his search for an elusive first Grand Slam title.
“I don’t know that Alex Zverev would feel pressure to perform while Sinner is out,” the former US Open champion remarked.
“From what I see, his recent form is more about trying to be aggressive on the forehand side because maybe there are question marks about him going all the way.”
Roddick reflected further on the mounting expectations Zverev faces.
“I don’t envy his position because it’s now win a Slam or bust. It’s almost as if people aren’t concerned about all his semi-finals. He had two big weeks in Australia, made the final and people are still only talking about the fact that he hasn’t won a Slam. For me, that’s tough, and I relate to it, but I don’t know that he’s too concerned about Sinner.”
While Zverev deals with the weight of expectation, Sinner’s path to redemption is about to take center stage—and Rome, Roddick believes, is the perfect arena for it.
“Sinner will return at the Italian Open, and his home crowd in Rome is going to go nuts,” Roddick said.
The buzz around Sinner’s return is expected to reach fever pitch, with Italian fans eager to see their star in action after a year-long absence from the Rome event.
“With the amount of support and fame that he has in Italy, I’m not sure there could have been a better place for him to come back,” Roddick added. “He’s played well in Turin and won the ATP Finals there, but he didn’t play Rome last year so they haven’t seen Jannik since he’s become the best player in the world.”
Questions around Sinner’s doping suspension continue to spark debate, but Roddick believes the 22-year-old won’t let the surrounding noise shake his composure.
“I’m not worried about any noise around his return affecting him, because that’s been there since last year’s US Open and he won two majors in that time.”
“He has the respect of people in the locker room, even if they disagree with the confusing nature of the doping protocols and what they may view as inconsistencies.”
With online discourse often dominated by hot takes and snap judgments, Roddick offered a reminder to look beyond the noise.
“Maybe you have a couple of yahoos who are more interested in tweeting opinions than actually reading facts, but Jannik is pretty understated. I don’t think he’s going to walk in with any sort of combative nature.”
While Sinner will be returning on clay—a surface not traditionally seen as his stronghold—Roddick made it clear that underestimating him would be a mistake.
“The fact is he’s coming back, but he’ll be coming back on the surface that is probably not his favourite. That doesn’t mean he’s not great on it, but he’s judged against his own shadow and if there’s anything concrete under his feet then he’s dominant.”
However, after three months off the tour, even a player of Sinner’s caliber might need time to regain full match sharpness. Roddick, drawing on his own experience, acknowledged the challenge ahead.
“His preparation for Paris will likely be affected. I don’t think you can be out for three months and come back as if nothing has changed. Maybe it’s like riding a bike, but I don’t think playing a normal schedule and not playing for three months are the same.”
As the clay season nears, all eyes will be on these two top-tier talents—Zverev, battling to prove he belongs among the Slam winners, and Sinner, returning to prove that even controversy can’t shake a champion’s focus.