Jannik Sinner passed his first test back on tour after a doping ban - a run to last weekend's final at the Italian Open , where his tennis felt good and looked good, and the statistics he studied afterward backed that up.
Now comes a whole new set of challenges for the 23-year-old Italian at the French Open , which begins Sunday: a crowd that could be pulling for his local opponents instead of for him the extra rigors of best-of-five-set matches instead of best-of-three the added pressure and importance of a major tournament.
"We have seen a couple of things where I can improve, and Grand Slams are just different. You have to be mentally ready. Physically, too, trying to use the right energy. It's all about being consistent and solid," Sinner said at a news conference at Roland-Garros on Friday.
"Yeah," he added. "Let's see if I can do that."
A year ago on the red clay in Paris, Sinner made it to the semifinals before blowing a two-sets-to-one lead and losing to his top rival, eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz. Despite that setback, Sinner rose to the top of the ATP rankings on the day after the French Open concluded, marking his first appearance at No. 1.