Jannik Sinner plans late-December return at Saudi exhibition ahead of Australian Open

Jannik Sinner plans to return from injury at an exhibition event in December to prepare for the Australian Open and believes the enforced layoff has changed his attitude towards tennis. Sinner has not played since July when he beat Alexander Zverev in the Wimbledon final.

He withdrew from the U.S. Open because of a right knee injury. Ongoing problems with the knee delayed the 25-year-old’s return and he announced last month his season was over. Last week, Zverev took over the No. 1 ranking that Sinner held for 95 weeks.

“The aim is to go to Australia, the aim is also maybe to do a couple of tournaments first,” Sinner said at a sponsor event in Milan on Tuesday. “But I have to respect the protocols at the moment because if we rush things we could have more serious problems.

“I also only have that information, that I have to work hard every day for that objective and then we’ll see.” One of those tournaments is the Six Kings Slam, an exhibition in Saudi Arabia that was postponed until late December because of the conflict in the Middle East.

“That (is the target) but we all know the situation what’s there at the moment, which is not the best, so this is not our decision as players, this is a more general decision,” Sinner told The Associated Press. “But I think if we want to prepare for Australia (and) I’m not playing since Wimbledon, some matches before might be very helpful.” The Six Kings Slam awards money but no ATP ranking points.

Sinner won the second edition of the tournament last year. The injury layoff has been the longest Sinner has been sidelined for and the five-time Grand Slam winner admits it has been such a difficult period for him that he hasn’t even been able to bring himself to watch much tennis.

“They haven’t been easy months, or rather they are not easy months, simply because I miss the competition, I miss going out onto the court, I really miss the thing I love doing: Playing tennis,” Sinner said. “But in this very important moment taking care of my body is of the utmost importance, because I want to keep playing for another 10 or 15 years.

So, if I end up returning to the court a month later, it doesn’t really change anything from that perspective.” Sinner believes that when he is finally back on court he will see the sport in a different way. “Before, it almost felt like the most normal thing in the world: You have a tournament, you win it, then you have another, you win it,” the Italian said.

“Now, however, I’ve come to truly appreciate what I’ve managed to achieve. “At the same time, my desire to win is even stronger, the urge to lift a major trophy — it’s the most wonderful feeling and the very thing we work so hard for.

Previously, I took it all for granted, as if it were just the natural order of things; I hope to experience those emotions again .. and maybe I will enjoy everything even more.” Sinner was asked if he had been using the enforced absence from tennis to broaden his horizons or learn a new skill.

“No unfortunately, this current period is really difficult because I’m at home, spending practically the entire day — every day — on a racing simulator,” said Sinner, who is a huge motorsport fan. “And then I head to the gym.

When I get back, I jump straight back onto the simulator.