Jannik Sinner is turning a new leaf. The Italian No. 1 steps into the Australian Open chasing history again: a three-peat in Melbourne and the No. 1 ranking ahead of Carlos Alcaraz. Just a year ago, he was caught in the storm of a doping case that threatened to derail everything. Now cleared and already a Wimbledon and ATP Finals champion, Sinner returns sharper, calmer, and ready to make more history. But how is he feeling coming into the tournament now?

After the rollercoaster of last year, something deeper has shifted in his outlook on tennis and life itself. When asked about the changes he noticed after the doping scandal, Sinner was refreshingly honest.

“In this moment last year,” he said in his pre-tournament press conference, “I didn’t know exactly what was going to happen. So, you know, I tried still to enjoy it when you go out on the court, but you still have it in your head.”

“Now, it’s tough to say, because I know the ending, you know? I knew the kind of ending, I knew what was coming out. But at the same time, it was difficult for me, but also for family. I tried to stay with the people I really love, which at times worked really well,” he added.

For the unversed, Jannik Sinner’s career veered off track in March 2024 when he tested positive twice, for clostebol, an anabolic steroid, during Indian Wells and Miami. His team quickly explained the bizarre twist. His physiotherapist had used a clostebol spray on a cut finger, then massaged Sinner without gloves, leading to contamination.

Initially, the ITIA tribunal cleared Sinner in August 2024, declaring there was “no fault or negligence.” Yet the saga didn’t end there. WADA appealed the verdict, and after months of uncertainty, the case settled in February 2025. Sinner accepted a three-month ban, which officially ran from February 9 to May 4.

Undoubtedly, the case took a heavy toll on the Italian. During the 2024 China Open, he admitted, “I spent sleepless nights trying to deal with this uncertainty.” The pressure and confusion cut deep, leaving him exhausted and questioning his future. For a moment, he even thought about walking away from tennis.

Life inside the locker room changed too. After his Australian Open victory in January 2025, Sinner confessed that something felt off.

He said in an interview, “In Australia, I didn’t feel at ease in the locker room or at the restaurant, the players looked at me differently and I didn’t like it at all. There I thought that living tennis in that way was really hard: I’ve always been someone who took tennis jokingly, I thought about taking some time off after Australia.”

But now, with the case behind him, Sinner enters 2026 with a renewed sense of calm. He stands at World No. 2 and is chasing a historic milestone: To become the first Italian, and the first player since Novak Djokovic, to clinch three straight titles at Rod Laver Arena.

“I live the sport also in a very different way now, which is relaxed, but I give everything I have. It’s a balance of everything. So, yeah, I’m very happy.”

So far, he’s only eased into the season with exhibition matches, one in South Korea and another at the One Point Slam in Melbourne against amateur Jordan Smith. It was all lighthearted fun, but with the main draw just around the corner, the tension is rising. And with Carlos chasing his first Australian crown, how is the Italian handling the rising pressure?

Jannik Sinner talks about changes in strategy ahead of AO

Heading into the Australian Open, there is still one nagging issue from last season that needs to be looked into: His serve needs a tweak. So far, the World No. 2 has rolled up his sleeves to fix it. Especially with the possibility of meeting Alcaraz in the final, he would need to change it up. Still, it’s not just for the World No.1

“It’s not only for one specific player,” Jannik Sinner said. “Look, if you add something to your game, the aim is to get better as a tennis player. It’s not about beating one guy. It’s more about feeling comfortable in every situation. That’s what we tried to do in the off-season.”

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“We worked a lot physically. Also, the physical part now is so, so important because the matches, they can get very long but also very intense. The tennis now, it’s very fast. You have to be at the top physical level as long as you can.”

It’s only a matter of time before he shows off his new moves. Starting Monday, January 19, he tackles Hugo Gaston in R1, and after that, the draw is no cakewalk for the fortnight. Can Jannik Sinner snag his second straight defense? Drop your takes in the comments below!